Beginnings
by storytellergirl
Summary: Every story has a beginning...and for these heroes the beginning was a narrow path wrought with wrong turns and dead ends. Their journey was not easy, but this is how it all began.
1. Prelude

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Final Fantasy VII: Beginnings**

**Prelude**

Stars twinkled in the night sky as a small breeze rustled the leaves of a tree. A dog barked in the distance and another soon took up its cry. The town was still, but not yet asleep. Houses were still alit with families settling in for the evening. A jovial laugh cut through the evening façade from a local restaurant. A door swung open and then slammed shut closing in the alcohol induced laughter from the rest of the town.

Situated directly in the center was a large well sitting atop a wooden deck. Painted across the steel drum was the word Nibelheim, indicating the name of the seemingly friendly town. It was on this deck that a young boy, no more than fourteen, was pacing back and forth in a nervous fashion. He had unruly blonde hair and blue eyes that contrasted with his attire. He wore heavy brown boots, dark green cutoffs, and a dark blue shirt that seemed one size too large for him. The boy was thin for his age, but judging by his hairless complexion one instantly knew he was hitting adolescence.

The boy gave an exasperated sigh as he glanced around the town from his perch. He had been there since dusk, and it was growing later by the minute. He paused upon hearing the chime of a bell in the distance—coming from the abandoned mansion on the other side of town. It was now ten o'clock. Soon the men from Soldier would be returning to their beds until morning when they would finally take their leave.

Hidden in the darkness of an alleyway stood a young girl, thought to be a mere thirteen, studying the boy in a thoughtful manner. Her dark brown hair reached an inch or more below her shoulders, the color matching her innocent eyes. She wore a light blue dress two sizes too big over a dark blue spaghetti strap shirt and matching shorts, as well as brown boots. She was petite for her age, but it could not be denied that she was blooming into a very beautiful woman.

After a few more minutes the girl slipped out of her cover of darkness and made her way over to the town well. The boy's back was facing her as she climbed up the ladder and onto the deck. She cleared her throat, causing the boy to swirl around in surprise. He frowned slightly as she tilted her head to one side, waiting for him to speak.

Finally he murmured, "I thought you got lost or something. I've been waiting all night."

The girl shrugged helplessly and she flashed him an impish grin. "I had chores after supper. I didn't mean to make you wait, Cloud."

"S'all right, Tifa. You gonna sit?" Cloud waved a hand as he plopped down on the deck, letting his legs hang in the air. Tifa rolled her eyes and followed suit.

"So," she started slowly, "what did you want to tell me?"

"It's a nice night, isn't it?" asked Cloud gazing up at the sky.

"Clo-oud."

Avoiding Tifa's gaze, Cloud took a deep breath. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Are you and your mom taking a trip somewhere?"

"Not exactly. I'm…I'm joining Soldier."

Tifa sat forward in shock. "You're what?" she demanded. "What for?"

"I dunno, I just am," answered Cloud softly.

"That's the lamest reason I've ever head. Cloud, you don't just join Soldier for no reason. Aren't you happy here?" Tifa's voice cracked as she hastily wiped away a couple of tears.

At this Cloud glanced over at Tifa with a drawn expression. It hurt him to put his best friend through this. "Teef, I…I'm nothing here. I'm no one. You know how my mom is; she's always pressuring me to do better—and so far I've proven to be worthless. I'm always getting in trouble. Remember when the Mayor had to take me home after he caught me stealing flowers from his wife's garden? I want to travel—I want to see this planet, not just dream about it!"

Tifa sniffed as more tears spilled down her face. "I just don't understand…what about me? I thought we were friends!"

"We are!" insisted Cloud scooting closer to Tifa. "We're best friends! But, I have to grow up some time. Soldier will train me…I'll have a decent job. I won't be an outcast anymore."

"I never th-though you w-were an outc-cast." By this time Tifa was beginning to hiccup emotionally.

Cloud chuckled quietly. "I know that, Teef. But this is big—it's the chance of a lifetime to prove my self to this town."

"And what about me?" repeated Tifa with a whisper.

"I'll come back for you," replied Cloud looking down at his hands.

Tifa looked over at her friend with astonishment written in her eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah." Cloud returned his gaze to Tifa's and for once she swore she could see something different about him. "I won't ever forget you…I'll come back for you, Tifa. I don't know what I'll do without you."

"You promise?" she pressed her small hand reaching for one of his to lace her fingers with his. Cloud studied their entwined fingers and nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Yeah," he choked out. "I promise."

Tifa squeezed Cloud's hand and nodded absently as the tears continued to make their way down her face silently. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," agreed Cloud pulling Tifa into a hug. The two friends clutched each other, not wanting to let the other go for fear they would never see them again.

"Make me another promise, Cloud." Tifa's words were barely audible as she whispered into his neck, her warm breath tickling his skin.

"Anything," he said pulling her closer.

"Promise me you'll come be my hero one day. Come save me from Nibelheim."

Cloud pulled away slowly, not fully letting Tifa go. Her eyes didn't meet his as she continued speaking. "I know I can be a pain sometimes, but you're the only one who ever puts up with me. I just want to feel like a princess once in my life. I want a knight in shining armor to rescue me one day. And with you going off to join Soldier…I want you to do that for me."

"Okay."

"You promise?" Tifa looked up hopefully, causing Cloud to stifle his laughter. She really was innocent. He didn't want that to change about her. Cloud studied Tifa's face, trying to soak up every tiny detail about her so as not to forget where his heart lay.

"You know I'd promise you anything. I'll come back, Tifa. I'll come back to rescue you." With those words Cloud leaned closer and captured Tifa's lips in a soft kiss. The pair broke apart not daring to speak the words they felt within them. Now was not the time. Instead they lapsed into a comfortable silence, with Cloud keeping Tifa close to his chest. Tonight would be their last night together. Their last night before adulthood took over.

The next day Tifa stood along with the rest of the townspeople as the Soldier group began their journey out of town. Joining their ranks was one of their own. A teen boy with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes.

The last Tifa saw of Cloud was him turning to give her a final wave. And then he was gone. While the rest of the town began to return to their daily routine, Tifa stood in the same spot gazing down the road with a heavy heart. Nothing would ever be the same.

**A/N—I thought long and hard before finally writing this out, partly because I know this is going to be a big endeavor, and partly because I'm not sure if it will turn out okay. _Beginnings_ is my version of the story before the video game. You might notice that I'm taking a creative license and changing a few things around, but I think it'll help make this story better. Of course, that's only my opinion. Feel free to let me know if this story is worth continuing. Thanks.**


	2. A Beginning

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Midgar**

_Five Years Later_

Cloud was jostled awake by the abrupt halt of the jeep. He opened his eyes sleepily and peered past the canvas covering into the darkness. Other men began to groan in protest as someone pounded on the side of the jeep.

"Get a move on, you lousy rabble!" was the harsh cry. Cloud gritted his teeth as he hopped out with a nudge from one of his companions. His eyes adjusted to the gray light as he took in the ever familiar sight.

A large stone wall loomed before him, extending for miles in a circular shape. Two metal doors stood shut as the man in charge conversed with the SOLDIER General. Smoke seemed to permeate the air, making it humid and dark. Beyond the great doors Cloud could see the tall smoke stacks polluting the city below. It was a depressing sight, but one that Cloud had grown used to in the five years since he had joined SOLDIER.

"Stop gawkin', spiky, you've seen the place thousands of times before," teased one of the other men gruffly.

Cloud practically growled back at him in a friendly manner. "Yeah, well it's a helluva sight better than your sorry face."

"Oh-o, better watch out Kiline, spiky's growing up on us." Another man laughed as he patted Kiline's back.

"'Bout time, too, if you ask me. Damn kid still hides behind the _real _men," muttered Kiline pulling out a cigarette. Cloud looked ready to strike him with the sword strapped on his back, but another SOLDIER entered the fray.

"Enough," said the First Class SOLDIER. He swept a strand of unkempt black hair out of his eyes and glared at the low ranking men for added effect. The men quickly backed off and drifted off into their own little groups, trading stories of home and duty.

"Don't let them get to you, Cloud, you're better than that," continued the dark haired man stretching his arms over his head.

"I was fine," replied Cloud off handedly. "You don't have to keep protecting me, Zack; I'm not a kid anymore. I've grown up."

Zack rolled his eyes. "So I've noticed. You're just jumpy because we're supposed to be off duty for the next couple of days. Rumor has it Shinra is putting a price on Sephiroth's head."

"Is it worth anything?"

"Not enough if you ask me. He was a goddamn SOLDIER General. No one in their right mind is ever gonna chase after him." Zack snorted in derision. Cloud was silent, his mind drifting off to a nightmare full of fire and screams. If he concentrated hard enough he could still smell the smoke and burning flesh; he could still feel the blood on his hands; and he could still see _her_.

"You're thinking about the incident again, aren't you?" Zack's words were spoken in an accusatory manner, jolting Cloud back to reality.

"It's kinda hard to forget," snapped Cloud.

"Just don't let Hojo hear about it. He'll give you more Mako if he thinks you're not fully cured from the nightmares. You gotta make them believe that you don't remember—that's the only way we're gonna get out of here, unless we catch Sephiroth," said Zack. Cloud nodded along absently as he tried to bury the scenes within his mind. He dug his hands in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled letter. He tried to smooth it out as he read the memorized lines.

_Dear Cloud,_

_I haven't heard from you in a while. You worry me. Are you okay? I miss you. I don't know if you got my last letter, but, I left home. I was traveling with Zangan until he got sick and died. I guess he was old considering how many years he taught Martial Arts back home. I'm on my own now. I'm thinking of heading to Kalm. I hear they could use a teacher of sorts there for the children. Where are you, Cloud? Why haven't you come for me? Did you forget your promise? I think about you, I wonder where you are. I hope that wherever you are you're safe. Please let me know something—anything, I'd rest a whole lot better knowing you're okay._

_Tifa_

"Are you ever going to write her back?" demanded Zack upon noticing the letter. Cloud shrugged. He had started a letter many times before, but none of them had conveyed what he wanted to say.

"Come on, boys! They're letting us in!"

Cloud and Zack glanced up at the obese General waving his hands for the SOLDIER group to follow him inside the doors leading to Midgar. The men filed into two lines and began the long, yet formal trek to Shinra Headquarters. It was the same thing every time. Shinra wanted SOLDIER to be supported by the people, thus requiring all SOLDIER returning to the great metropolis to parade through each Sector before checking in with President Shinra himself.

"This is getting old," murmured Zack under his breath as he marched beside Cloud. The spiky blonde, however, did not respond. He was too busy studying the hodgepodge of shacks and people in rags they passed.

A loud honking sound ruined the parade as a large, beat up bus chugged along behind the SOLDIER group. Reluctantly the men moved aside to let the dirty automobile pass. As the group moved back into formation in the middle of the road, Cloud couldn't help but feel envious of those on the bus. They were regular people coming to Midgar on business only to leave again within hours. They weren't stuck like he was.

**Sector 7:**

The bus screeched to a halt, forcing the dozing riders to slam into the seats in front of them. Tifa's eyes flew open with anger as her forehead came into contact with the ancient seat in front of her. It took several moments for her to gain her bearings as the other riders began to get off the bus. Many of the people passing her by barely gave her a glance. A majority of them wore odds and ends; judging by their tired expressions they were finally home. Wherever that was.

Tifa glanced out the window and frowned at the sight. Shacks falling apart, questionable people milling around the one street lamp, and the only lights seeming to filter out of dank, run down buildings. Slums came to Tifa's mind as the last person got off the bus. She was glad it wasn't her destination.

The bus driver looked back at Tifa with a scowl, running a greasy hand across his running nose. "Get out," he ordered brusquely.

"Excuse me?" Tifa was startled by the command.

"I said get out. This is the end of the road."

"This," replied Tifa waving a hand at the bus window, "isn't my stop."

"Sorry, darlin', but you missed your stop. We was in Kalm four hours ago. Now we in Midgar." The bus driver smirked in triumph as Tifa's mouth opened in a soundless "o".

"Why didn't you wake me?" she demanded, her eyes flashing with anger.

"You didn't pay me for that. You just paid me for the ride."

"To the Slums?" Tifa was incredulous. "I paid for a trip to Kalm—that's where I was supposed to get off!"

"Too bad, Sector 7 is the end of the line. You don't get off then I'm gonna have to call for security," snarled the bus driver.

Tifa ground her teeth together to keep from lashing out at the disgusting specimen sitting in the driver's seat. She got to her feet and swung a small canvas traveling bag over her right shoulder. Just as she was about to step off the bus, the driver spoke up.

"You owe me for the extra miles," he said. Tifa turned back around to face him, her eyes smoldering. With her left hand she quickly slammed the driver's head down onto the steering wheel. Blood gushed out of his nose as the man howled out in pain.

"That's all you're getting, asshole," she muttered under her breath. Tifa hopped out of the bus and glanced around at the area. It looked even worse up close. She watched as the bus pulled away with the driver clutching his now broken nose. More lights began to turn on and people vanished into the safety of their shacks as night approached. So this was the infamous city of Midgar. Tifa wasn't impressed.

**A/N—Some of you might notice that I've changed a lot around. Just remember, it's probably going to be AU. I hope it's somewhat entertaining, and perhaps promising. Let me know what you think.**


	3. Planning Stages

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Shinra Headquarters**

"Aw, Mr. Strife, how are we feeling today? No more nightmares I hope." Cloud looked up cautiously as Hojo entered the room. Hojo was an old man with a slender build. He seemed to unconsciously hunch his shoulders when he walked, causing his oval shaped spectacles to slide down the bridge of his nose. His long grey hair was pulled back with a single rubber band, and still looked as though it had never been brushed. All in all Cloud did not find the man very trustworthy.

"Peachy," replied Cloud flatly. He popped his knuckles as he surveyed the cold, metal room he was in. The walls were bare with only a small square mirror hanging on one end of the room. The only furniture consisted of a hospital bed and a metal chair that scraped across the floor as Hojo pulled it towards the bed.

"I trust that you have been training with your sword again?"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yeah."

Hojo nodded encouragingly. "Have you noticed an increase in your stamina and strength? How long does it take before you wear yourself down, Mr. Strife?"

"Look, Hojo, we've been all over this before. I don't know and I don't care. Why don't you ask one of the guys I train with, huh? Maybe they know. I'm getting tired of all this bullshit. It's the same questions every time I come here. Why don't you take the Mako yourself, huh, old man?"

"Tsk, tsk. Such a response is not worthy of a SOLDIER. You should consider yourself lucky that you have even been chosen to receive Mako, not everyone can handle it. But you, you will become a fine specimen one day," said Hojo. He took a needle out of his white lab coat and tapped the glass to shake the liquid.

"I'm not an animal that you can test and prod, Hojo," hissed Cloud between clenched teeth.

Hojo eyed Cloud with steeled eyes as he took a hold of the younger man's arm. "Then why do you return to Midgar and subject yourself to these shots?" Hojo injected the Mako into Cloud's arm, watching the liquid as it drained out of his glass tube. Cloud arched his back and sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes closed momentarily as the Mako infused itself in his system. When he opened his eyes again they shone a bright blue.

"It is because you are addicted, Cloud Strife. You cannot function without the Mako. You are nothing without it, nothing but a waif," continued Hojo answering his own question quietly. Cloud didn't answer as he sank down on the hospital bed sleepily. With a shake of his head Hojo stood up and left the room, shutting the door behind him. He placed his hands in his coat pockets and made his way a few doors down to another door. He pushed it open and nodded a greeting at Zack who was lying on the bed with his arms behind his head.

"How's Cloud?" asked the First Class SOLDIER sitting up as Hojo pulled out another shot from his lab coat.

"As fine as can be. Has he mentioned those nightmares again?"

"Nope. Just the same brooding kid he's always been." Zack grimaced in pain as Hojo injected the Mako into his arm.

"I hate it when you lie to me, boy. It really isn't necessary," whispered Hojo, yanking the needle out of Zack's arm forcibly.

Zack's dark eyes shone brightly as he looked at Hojo with a funny expression on his face. "Yeah, but there's nothing you can do about it, is there? The Vice-President needs me just as much as he needs you to protect his sorry ass. And lucky for me I get my pick of men when I go out. Who protects you, Hojo, when your creations go berserk? Aren't you afraid that one night you're gonna wake up and find Sephiroth staring back down at you with his sword in one hand? Because that day's comin' real soon…I hope you'll be ready when it does."

"At least my death will be painless, whereas you will suffer." Hojo stepped away from the dark haired man and turned to leave the room just as the door flung open. A woman with long red hair entered wearing a matching blue skirt, heels, and jacket with black tie.

"The Vice-President would like to see you now," she murmured in a slightly husky voice. Hojo nodded sharply and turned to follow her out the door when Zack shot out a hand to grab the scientist's arm.

"You're gonna regret the things you've done, Hojo. Just wait and see."

"Perhaps I should double the doses I give you and your blonde friend," replied Hojo coolly, completely ignoring the scathing threat. As Hojo shut the door behind him he could hear Zack laughing uncontrollably.

"Losing control yet again, Hojo?" questioned the woman raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"Shut-up, Scarlet. What does Rufus want now?" snapped Hojo taking off his glasses and cleaning the lenses with the end of his coat.

Scarlet narrowed her green eyes before leading the scientist down the hall. "He wants to discuss Sephiroth with you. He doesn't believe you've done enough to reign in that monster of a SOLDIER you created. I can't blame the man either; you really _are _losing your touch, Hojo. Neither Zack nor that Strife fella take you seriously anymore. These kinds of results make the Vice-President wary that the rest of your little…experiments will be successful."

By now the two had entered a larger laboratory. Tubes were situated in the square center, a majority of them filled with creatures foaming at the mouth. Other scientists were in the lab, each monitoring a different specimen with a clip board, double checking that all was going according to plan. Connected to the tubes through various wires were rows upon rows of computer control panels. Lights flickered away, indicating that the system was still in fact running.

At the very end of the lab was Vice-President Rufus Shinra studying one of the tubes. Hojo put his hands behind his back as he followed Scarlet over to Rufus. Together the two men stared at the great red beast growling back at them front behind his glass casing.

"Incredible piece of work you have here, Hojo. Not planning on letting him go, are you?" Rufus spat out his words coldly but casually without bothering to look at the old man standing beside him.

"Sephiroth was a mistake, I'll admit it. But I cannot take all the blame for his imbalanced mind. It was you who asked me on behalf of your father to make him a decorated General for SOLDIER; it was you who forced him into battle countless times. Therefore it is you who should clean up this mess before the people turn against Shinra, Inc." Hojo didn't miss a beat before he turned to stare at the politically ambitious figure next to him.

Rufus had hard blue eyes and golden blonde hair in a perfect part across his head. His hair barely reached the tips of his ears, matching nicely with the dark blonde stubble growing on his chin. He was immaculately dressed in a pin-stripe suit over a white dress shirt, grey vest and red tie, finished off with black dress shoes. He looked every bit the dashing son and personal advisor of President Shinra.

"Have patience, Hojo. Don't turn yourself into the scapegoat. We all know how well you'd fair if the public had the chance to beat you for letting Sephiroth loose into their lives. Have you made any progress with your other two SOLDIER boys? Are they playing nice too, or are they turning out to be Sephiroth number two and three?"

Hojo scowled. "As long as they continue to function off Mako I believe they will become perfect SOLDIER material. I am only a scientist, Rufus, nothing more, nothing less. Some experiments turn out just the way I predicted, while others come as a complete surprise. What is it you wanted from me?"

Rufus allowed himself a wide grin as he spoke, "I want to send your two Mako boys after Sephiroth. Give them the express task of bringing down your menace. You yourself have said before that no one else could even come close to matching the prowess of the mighty Sephiroth. Besides, I think it might be for the best if we got them out of Midgar for a while. They aren't doing much for the morale of the rest of SOLDIER. I want Sephiroth caught, Hojo. No more messing around. He needs to be _eliminated_."

"That's all fine and well, Rufus, but I am afraid that Sephiroth may be harder to reign in compared to others before him," muttered Hojo.

"Never before has Shinra, Inc. been the bane of existence to this planet!" Rufus' words dripped off his tongue like venom. "People are starting to put two and two together and realize that _we _are the reason the economy has gone down. Midgar is not the paradise it once was—and there are people out there beginning to take notice! I will not have this corporation be destroyed by peasants!"

Hojo barely blinked as he turned back towards the red beast in the tube. Rufus snorted and began to stalk away from the scientist when he stopped short. Hojo was speaking once more. "You cannot blame me, or Sephiroth, for the vigilante group AVALANCHE. That was your own doing, Rufus. Yours and yours alone."

Rufus froze in anger but continued on his way out of the laboratory with Scarlet right behind him. The two walked in silence until they entered the glass elevator. The second the doors were closed shut, Rufus kicked them in frustration.

"Dammit!"

"You shouldn't let him get to you," remarked Scarlet collectedly. Rufus glared at her.

"Fuck you. Have you or Tseng found anything else about AVALANCHE? I want them out of my hair!"

"We're still working on it. It's a little hard considering the fact that they've been lying low again."

"Remind me again why you work for me? You Turks are turning out to be good for nothing."

Scarlet bit down on her tongue to keep from lashing out at the man before her. Fortunately the elevator doors opened and the two were able to step out into the President's office. Standing inside were two men dressed in blue slacks and matching jackets, with black ties and dress shoes. The only way to tell them apart was that one man had no hair at all and wore dark sunglasses while the other had long black hair pulled back with a rubber band.

Rufus took a seat in the President's chair and cleared his throat as he eyed the three individuals before him. "Why is it that whenever I call a meeting, there is always someone missing?" he demanded darkly. "Tseng?"

The long haired man shrugged nonchalantly. "This is Reno we're talking about, Rufus. I don't keep tabs on him. I didn't know you expected me to."

"And here I thought you were in charge," muttered Rufus.

Tseng chuckled. "Hey, I may be the brains behind this operation, but it doesn't mean I actually care where my men are half the time."

The bald man chose that moment to speak up, his voice deep and gravelly. "If you really want to know where Reno is then you might wanna look over in the Slums somewhere. He's been there sniffing out AVALANCHE. Said something about maybe getting the locals to talk."

"And whose bright idea was that, Rude? Yours or his?" asked Scarlet bitterly. "No one trusts the Turks anymore."

Rude made a face. "Yeah, but when they're drunk they trust everyone."

**A/N—Three chapters for three reviews. I'm starting to wonder if this story is worth continuing. Aw well, such is the life of a struggling writer. Maybe you'll like the next chapter…when Tifa is forced to protect herself, and an unwanted hero enters the fray…**


	4. Chance

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff.**

**Sector 7**

Tifa dragged her canvas bag behind her as she walked past the many shacks and bars. She had been searching for a hotel for the past half hour, and so far she had been out-of-luck. There wasn't much open in the Slums.

"I'm gonna kill that driver if I ever see him again," she vowed darkly under her breath. The sky was getting darker beneath the heavy clouds of smog. Nearby the street lamps gave off a dim orange glow. Tifa shuddered as a warm breeze hit her skin. The place gave her the creeps with all the shadows that lurked about.

Then again, it wasn't as though Tifa had come dressed in something a little less appealing to the roving eyes of the shady figures still milling about outside the bars. She simply wore a short beige colored skirt with a light blue shirt that barely reached her navel, and of course her favorite pair of dark brown boots.

"Psst." The hiss came out of a nearby alley way, startling Tifa. She glanced over into the shadows warily. She didn't trust the people here.

"What?" she snapped in irritation.

"What's a pretty gal like you doin' walkin' around these parts at night?" A broad shouldered man stepped out of the alley way with a cocky smirk on his face. He had jet black hair greased back on his head and matching stubble on his chin. He gave her the once over with his beady eyes and grinned at her appreciatively.

Tifa gritted her teeth in disgust. "None of your damn business," she returned coolly.

"Uh-uh, looks like the girl has something of a temper." Another voice chuckled as another man came from the right of Tifa. This one was stockier, with long blonde hair and green eyes. Two men appeared out of the shadows, closely resembling the other two men already there. Tifa was now surrounded.

"Look, I don't want any trouble," started Tifa eyeing each man carefully. "I'm just looking for a place to stay the night."

"Well, darlin', if that's all you want then why don't I show you the best bed in town?" The suggestion lay in the air like a thick cloud overhead. Tifa knew exactly what the man meant, and it only disgusted her further.

"How about I take a rain check? I think my chances are better on the streets," said Tifa darkly. She raised her chin as she took on a defiant stance. Her bag lay by her side forgotten as the men cracked their knuckles.

"I wasn't askin'," replied the dark man coldly. "And I don't think you have any say in the matter."

"Oh really? And what the hell makes you think I'm going to go with you, huh, ugly?" By now Tifa was itching for a fight. She was boiling with anger as well as exhausted from her day's travels. The Slums had not been her intended destination, and she was ready to make someone pay for the mix-up.

The dark man flexed his arms in anticipation before giving his companions a sharp nod. Tifa was ready for the first man. He came up behind her, only to be caught completely off guard as Tifa brought her elbow back into his face. He stumbled backwards clutching his nose that was now gushing with blood. Tifa didn't bother to wait for his next move; she twirled around to meet him with one fist after another until he was so unsteady he tripped on his own feet down to the ground.

A second man lunged for the brunette, but Tifa was ready for him. Just as he brought a fist down towards the side of her face she caught his arm and jabbed her shoulder into his gut, flipping him over her shoulder and down onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

The third man, the stocky blonde, grabbed Tifa around the waist in a tight grip. With an almost reluctant sigh Tifa turned the two of them around to face the last man standing. The dark man was licking his lips and reaching out towards Tifa just as she brought a long leg up to hit him squarely in the chest. The dark man clutched his chest as he was briefly winded but continued to advance. Tifa growled and bent forwards, lifting the blonde man up and over her head. He landed on his head and fell to his back, letting go of Tifa in his flight. She merely rolled back to her feet and met the dark man's third advance with a powerful roundhouse kick to the head.

"Damn bitch." The dark man wiped away the blood from his temple and rushed Tifa. The brunette rolled her eyes and met his onslaught with one of her own. Her fists went flying into his gut, forcing him backwards on his feet until he tripped over one of his other fallen comrades. As soon as the man hit the ground with a stunned expression on his face Tifa wiped her hands of the dust and sweat she had worked up.

"Still think I should tag along, _darlin'_?" she mocked cocking her head to one side. The man shook his head with a fearful expression on his face without a single word. Tifa smiled down at him in satisfaction just as her ears caught a soft footstep behind her. She turned around on the ball of her foot and punched the approaching man soundly in the jaw.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Tifa upon noticing that the man wasn't one of the thugs who had been attacking her. She reached over and gingerly placed a hand on the man's arm as he felt his jaw line for any noticeable cracks.

He was a fairly tall man with a slender build. He had unruly short red hair and pale blue eyes. Dressed in dark blue slacks and matching jacket over a white dress shirt and black tie that matched his shoes, Tifa knew he was anything but a thug.

The man's eyes closed briefly in pain as he continued to inspect the area Tifa had hit him. He popped his jaw back into place and rubbed it carefully. "S'all right, love. You didn't do too much harm," he murmured in a slight accent.

Tifa narrowed her eyes the moment she realized the man wasn't in any pain. "Then what the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on people like that?" she demanded.

"Well gee; I thought that maybe you were in need of some assistance with these boys here." The man waved a hand at the men on the ground as they were slowly crawling away.

Tifa snorted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Really? Do you always wait until the girl is out of harm's way before you extend a helping hand?"

"Hey, I was just checking to be sure you were alright. How the hell is a bloke supposed to know anything when you don't make a sound while ya fight?"

"Whatever. I'm fine, alright?" Tifa pushed past the stranger and reached down to pick up her bag. She froze as the sound of retreating footsteps echoed down the alley way.

"Hear that?" asked the stranger coming to stand beside her. "That's the sound of a fella runnin' to alert the rest of the rotters in the Slums that the new girl just took down four of their own. Half of 'em are gonna want to take you down for such an embarrassin' display of skill by their own kind; and the other half are gonna see you as their own little challenge. You're not safe here alone—especially at night. Where are you from?"

"It doesn't matter," murmured Tifa with a sigh as she let her bag drop back down to the ground. "I can never go back."

"It doesn't matter whether you can go back or not, love. What matters is the fact that you're a woman on your own in the Slums. That's a very dangerous combination. Do you have a place to stay the night?"

Tifa glared at the man, making him step back with his hands in the air. "I'm _not _looking to share anyone's bed if that's what you're asking," she said with a frigid air.

"Whoa now, that's not what I meant, darlin'. I was simply askin' whether you had some place to crash the evening. That's all—I swear."

"And why should I trust you?"

The man shrugged. "Well really, I'm just trying to be friendly. Don't jump down my throat about it. I take it you haven't met a lot of decent men in your lifetime, have you?"

"Fuck off." Tifa picked up her bag once more, fully intending on making her way back to the bus stop to wait for the next bus that came by. Instead she was stopped by the red headed stranger stepping into her path with an outstretched hand. She eyed it suspiciously as he spoke.

"The name's Reno."

"What, no last name with that?" she snarled.

"When you've lived in the slums as long as I have, love, last names aren't necessary," replied Reno quietly. Tifa glanced up into his eyes and furrowed her eyebrows in thought. He seemed sincere…almost trustworthy.

Tifa placed her own hand in his, shaking it firmly. "Tifa Lockheart."

"See now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" teased Reno with a grin. Tifa let go of his hand and shifted her bag over to the other shoulder.

"Don't push it," she warned. "So, did you have a place in mind for me to stay or were you making it all up?"

"No, I have a place you can crash for the night. Don't worry—I won't be there. I have business elsewhere, but you're welcome to stay the night. Hell, you can stay until you find a place of your own if you want, darlin'."

"I'm not planning on sticking around long."

"Whatever you want, love, your every wish is my command." Reno gave a mock bow.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "You do know you're not getting laid, right?" she asked as he finally began walking down the road.

"A man can be pleasing without expecting something in return, can't he?" returned Reno with a small frown.

"Sure. Just as long as you know that I can kick your ass with my finger," agreed Tifa with an impish smile on her face.

"Dully noted, love, dully noted. Now, tell me, exactly how old are you?"

"How is that any of your business?"

"What? I can't just ask you general questions? How the hell am I supposed to know I'm not letting some blood ravaging murderer stay in my place?"

"Have I tried to kill you yet?" Tifa groaned at the look Reno sent her way. "Alright, alright, I'm eighteen."

"Crikey! How the bloody hell did you learn to fight like that at such a young age?" Reno stopped in his tracks to stare after Tifa with shock written across his face. Tifa kept walking.

"Just lucky, I guess," she called back brightly. Her mood was beginning to lift now that she had found a place to stay the night. Things were starting to look up again. Reno shook his head in wonder as he quickened his pace to catch up with Tifa, his eyes never leaving her body.

"Lucky my ass," he murmured under his breath and running a hand through his hair. "The girl's a bloody angel with that body…wait till the others get a load of this. They're never gonna believe my luck."

**A/N—Alright, so I'm going to keep on writing this since I figure people might be more interested in later chapters. Either way, I hope this one is somewhat entertaining.**


	5. Encounter

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything here.**

**Wall Market**

Cloud hunched his shoulders as he nursed the frothy cup in front of him. He had never been one for much alcohol, but tonight was an exception. He wanted to forget the images plaguing his mind. Especially the ones of Tifa and the promise he had made her. The promise he could never keep.

Zack pushed his way through the crowded bar and pulled up a chair across from Cloud. "Still moping around?" he asked looking at the cup of beer in front of his blonde comrade. Cloud shrugged.

With a sigh Zack continued. "Lighten up, would ya? Rufus wants to talk to us tomorrow morning. Something about a secret mission. My money's on a two man hunt for Sephiroth."

Cloud glanced up, his bright blue eyes instantly alert. "Are you sure?"

"We won't know 'til tomorrow—but rumor has it Rufus is losing sleep over the whole fiasco." Zack chuckled as he took a swig from his own mug. Cloud sank down further in his seat and fiddled with the handle of his mug.

"D'ya think they'll ever let us leave?" murmured Cloud after while.

"I thought you liked being in SOLDIER. I thought that's why you left your dinky home. Wait a sec; this doesn't have anything to do with that girl, does it? Man, you've got it bad for her," groaned Zack. He grinned as Cloud flushed a bright red. Shaking his head, the dark haired man leaned forward in his seat and motioned for Cloud to do the same. Then he whispered conspiratorially, "Write her. That's the only way you'll know you're not wasting your time pining after her. You gotta be more like me, Cloud. My girl and I have an understanding. She's promised herself to me…you need to get your girl to promise herself to you. See, my girl, she's always waiting for me. She knows when I'm in the city I'll swing by her place for a visit. She and I are meant to be together."

"How do you know you're meant to be with someone you never see half the time?" spat out Cloud darkly.

Zack gave a small shrug. "I get this feeling in my stomach when I'm with her. My heart swells whenever I see her. Cloud, I can picture myself settling down with this girl and having kids one day. I know in my heart she and I are meant to be together. You gotta ask yourself the same thing when you think about your own girl. What does you heart tell you?"

Cloud paused for a second before picking up his mug. "It tells me I'm a screw up," he muttered before downing his drink. Zack rolled his eyes. He knew Cloud was head over heels for his childhood friend, but too scared to admit it.

"Fine, be that way. But I'm warning you, Cloud, if you don't do something soon you're gonna find yourself out of the loop when your girl lands herself another guy." Zack stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "Now, if you don't mind, I have myself a girl to see to."

Cloud watched as Zack disappeared out of the bar before motioning for a barmaid to bring him another drink. He hated anything that had to do with love. Cloud didn't know if he would ever feel complete.

Meanwhile, Zack was walking through the dimly lit streets of the Wall Market, fervently praying that he would make it to the church in Sector 3 on time. Aeris hated it when he was late, especially since he was never in Midgar long enough to spend quality time with her. He had just made it to the outskirts of the less than moral side of town when he saw a familiar flash of pink.

"Aeris?" he asked in surprise as he made his way over to the pink figure. Zack caught his breath as the slim figure turned around. She wore a frilly pink skirt over a matching white one, brown boots, and a long red tinted halter top with white trimming. Her light brown hair was pulled back in a braid with two red tinted ribbons, making her bright green eyes shine.

"Zack!" Aeris squealed in delight and threw her arms around Zack's neck. "I knew you'd be here!"

"Aeris, you shouldn't be here. This is the Turks territory," murmured Zack pulling her arms from around his neck. "You know they're still on the lookout for you."

Aeris pouted. "I thought you said this was Don Corneo's territory."

"Well, it is, but the Turks have moved in over here too. They have eyes and ears all over Midgar. I can't protect you if you're going to walk right into their hideouts," sighed Zack. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

"I can take care of myself you know," pointed out Aeris.

Zack grinned back at her as he tugged her hand to keep walking. "I thought you liked it when I rescued you."

Aeris giggled. "Okay, I do, but still, don't the Turks have anything better to do than try and kidnap me every day?"

"I highly doubt it," was Zack's reply. Aeris made a face but decided not to push the subject. Her boyfriend could be quite stubborn when he put his mind to it, and this made Aeris love him even more. She clung to Zack's hand as the pair tried to dodge through the growing crowds headed towards Wall Market for happy hour.

As they walked, Aeris felt herself brush against another person. Looking up quickly Aeris found herself locking eyes with another girl her age heading straight towards Wall Market. There was something different about this girl, but before Aeris could put her finger on it the other girl was gone, jogging to catch up with a red headed man dressed all in blue.

Tifa gritted her teeth and clutched her traveling bag over her shoulder as she struggled to keep up with Reno. That girl in pink that she had bumped into had made her anxious to get out of the crowd. She was tired of being given the once over by strangers.

"Are we almost there yet?" called out Tifa, her voice nearing a dangerous level.

Reno glanced back at Tifa and paused, forcing the young woman to run right into him. "Having trouble keeping up, love?" he teased with a twinkle in his eyes.

Tifa narrowed her eyes. "I'm seriously starting to reconsider this offer of yours. Where the hell is it that you live, Reno?"

"Here." Reno motioned around him, causing Tifa to glance around curiously. Before she could comment on the shoddy shacks and drunken people, Reno had grabbed her free hand and dragged her along behind him. They went down a road leading to a rowdy bar, but it was the building directly across from the bar that Reno was headed.

It was a rundown five story apartment building made of gray bricks. Reno pushed open the dusty glass doors and led Tifa up five flights of rickety steps to a door with chipped red paint at the very end of the hall. He pulled a key out of his pocket and slipped it into the keyhole, pushing the door open. Reno motioned for Tifa to enter first, and she was pleasantly surprised by what she found.

The apartment was completely furnished with a velvet sofa and matching chair, small television set, glass coffee table; marble tiled countertop, small kitchenette, and a doorway leading to the adjoined bed and bath.

"This is your place?" asked Tifa in a slight daze. Reno nodded proudly as he turned on the lights. "It's nice."

"It's nice? That's all you can say?" scoffed the Turk pretending to be hurt. Tifa raised an eyebrow at him as grinned at her.

"It doesn't look like you stay here often," said Tifa putting her bag on the ground and walking over to the windows that looked out over the bar. She glanced up at the horizon, but all she could see was Shinra Headquarters staring straight back at her.

Reno came to stand behind her and pointed over her shoulder at the looming presidential office. "That's where I spend most of my time," he replied softly. "I don't get home as often as I'd like. Too far to travel when I'm rundown by the end of the day."

Tifa shifted away from Reno uncomfortably, not liking the feel of his breath or body so near her own. "What do you do there?"

Reno tilted his head to one side, thoughtfully taking in Tifa's nervousness. "Another time," he mumbled scratching his head. "Just make yourself at home here. I'll be by in the morning with some groceries. You're welcome to stay as long as you like…I really don't spend a lot of time here."

"Where will you stay?" asked Tifa hesitantly. Reno half turned from his position by the door to smile winsomely at the young woman.

"Don't worry about me, love. I wouldn't dream of making you uncomfortable. Tonight." And with that he was out the door.

Tifa growled low in her throat as she heard Reno lock the door behind him. "Make me uncomfortable, my ass. You couldn't touch me even if I was dead," she muttered under her breath. Tifa let out a half hearted sigh as she moved back over to the windows to gaze down below. She saw Reno walking down the dusty street with his hands in his pockets, a cocky air about him. Making a face Tifa turned to look at the bar for a few more minutes before deciding it really was time for bed. It had been a long day.

If Tifa had still been looking out the window instead of taking a nice hot shower she would have seen Cloud leaving the bar in almost the same manner as Reno, only with a more dejected feeling than the red head.

**The Next Morning:**

Rude was muttering to himself under his breath as he made his way up the rickety apartment steps. It was just his luck to be forced to go after Reno for being a no-show the day before. Rufus had been pissed.

"Little fucker owes me one," mumbled Rude to himself as he took off his sunglasses and stuffed them in his coat pocket. From that same pocket he pulled out the spare key to Reno's apartment and stuck it in the lock. He pushed the door open and cursed under his breath once more upon finding the apartment empty.

He was ready to turn and leave when he noticed the bedroom door was partially closed. Apparently Reno had decided to sleep in. With a slight snicker, Rude pushed open the doorway and headed towards the bed without waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

"Hey, get up, you fucker! The boss ain't too happy you didn't show up yesterday!" said Rude gruffly as he pulled the covers off the sleeping figure. What he found stopped him dead in his tracks. Staring right back at him was a woman wearing nothing more than a silk top and shorts. He opened his mouth to apologize when the girl hit him squarely in the nose with her fist.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded as she jumped out of the bed. Rude could only stare at her as he clutched both hands to his nose.

Tifa balled her hands into fists, fully intending on hitting the stranger once more when Reno rushed into the room with a bag of groceries in his arms. "Don't hit! Don't hit!" he cried out breathlessly. Both Tifa and Rude looked at the red head with dark looks on their faces.

"Oh bloody hell," muttered Reno to himself. It was going to be a long day.

**A/N—I know, it took a lot longer than I thought it would to get this chapter up, but I had to really think about where I wanted this story to go considering what I know about the events of FFVII. So here it is, I hope it didn't turn out too bad. Thanks for waiting.**


	6. Twists

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Wall Market**

Rude was nursing his bloody nose with a tissue when Tifa finally emerged from the bedroom fully dressed in her khaki skirt and blue shirt. She glared at the bald man and took a seat in the chair directly across from him. Reno ran a hand through his hair nervously. He would be in a lot of trouble if Tseng found out he had a girl crashing over in his apartment. Relationships outside of the Turks, no matter how platonic, weren't encouraged. And Reno had a sinking feeling that after this morning Rude wasn't going to keep his mouth shut.

"Would someone just say something, please? You two are going to drive a fellow mad!" muttered Reno plopping himself down on the opposite end of the couch as Rude.

Tifa raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Why don't you explain why I was accosted by baldy this morning? I thought you said I could crash here as long as I needed. I was under the impression that I would be alone."

Reno made a face. "Now, now, love, I didn't exactly say that. I just said that _I _wouldn't…be here. Look, darlin', I had no clue Rude was gonna show up. Speaking of which, Rude, man, why _are _you here?"

"You're in a shitload of trouble—and not with me even though your little girlfriend decided to hit me. The boss man is pissed. You were a no show at yesterday's little get together. Tseng got nailed for it…so I got stuck with bringing in your sorry ass," replied Rude gruffly. He pulled the tissue from his nose and touched it tentatively. "I think you broke my nose," he informed Tifa sourly.

"I don't know what to tell you, but sorry isn't it. It serves you right for assaulting me!" snapped Tifa darkly.

Rude narrowed his eyes at the brunette. "Assaulting you! I didn't even touch you! God-damn bitch!"

Reno quickly spoke up to avoid any more confrontation. "Hey, hey, I think there's been enough violence for one day. Can't we all just be friends? Or at least not try to shed blood in my apartment?"

"Whatever. Let's go, you can spend time with your girl later. I don't want Tseng to send someone after me." Rude stood up and headed over to the door as Tifa gave him an icy look. Reno cringed as she directed her gaze to him.

"Uh, we'll talk later, love," said Reno as he made his way over to the apartment door.

"Oh, we'll talk alright, Reno. You have a _lot _of explaining to do. You're lucky I have no where else to go!" snarled Tifa. Reno gave her a charming smile and quickly shut the door behind him, breathing a sigh of relief until he heard a vase shattering into a million pieces after hitting the door. Tifa had every right to be pissed at him, he had offered her security and then Rude had walked right in like he owned the place.

"Nice girl. Hot body…fucked up temper though. Is she your whore of the week?" asked Rude as the two men began walking down the five flights of stairs.

Reno shook his head. "You wouldn't believe it, mate. This girl is amazing. She's skilled. I'm talking martial arts expert skilled. She kicked ass last night over in Sector 7. She took down four men twice her size. I felt obliged to take her in."

"She any good in bed?"

"She threatened to kill me if I even insinuated sex to her."

Rude shook his head. "Then why take her in?"

"She's got what it takes." Reno continued upon seeing Rude's blank face. "Tseng's always talking about recruiting another member for the Turks. Scarlet's only loyal to Rufus…I think Tifa would be the perfect recruit. She's angry—I don't know about what, but whatever it is we could use it."

"You think Tseng will go for it?"

Reno shrugged. "I wasn't planning on mentioning her until I've gained her trust, mate. I need her to be on my side before I get her to join. That's why I have her staying at my place. I can keep an eye out on her and help her out for as long as she's in Midgar."

"Plus it doesn't hurt that she's fucking hot, does it?" murmured Rude with a knowing grin.

"Well now, that's just a bonus. Tseng may be fussy about fraternizing with the opposite sex on the job, but if Tifa was part of the job I'm fairly sure Tseng wouldn't mind a little playtime with co-workers," agreed Reno with a cocky wink. Rude shook his head and put on his sunglasses as they walked out into the sunlight.

"Just let me know when you get tired of her, Reno. I wouldn't mind having a piece of her."

**Sector 3**

Aeris was leaning with her back against the garden wall when Zack emerged into the backyard. He gave a small smile as he noticed the faraway look in her eyes. She claimed to be listening to the world whenever he asked about it.

"I was wondering when you would wake up," said Aeris quietly.

Zack's smile became a frown. "You sound serious today."

"I'm worried. I have this…feeling. Do you have to go?" implored Aeris as she felt Zack's arms encircle her body. She looked up at him and sighed at the serious look in his eyes.

"I have a job to do. 'Sides, this is my only out from Shinra, and you know it. Whatever they want me and my partner to do, I'm leaving, Aeris. I've gotta get out while I can. I've already told you'll I'll come back for you once I've found us a place."

"I know…" Aeris looked out across the sector she lived in, taking note of the people starting out on their humdrum lives. "I love you, Zack. I don't know what I'd ever do without you. I think that's what scares me the most. I worry about you. I worry that one day you won't come back. I worry that you'll leave me to fend for myself. I can't lose you, Zack. I just can't. I don't know how I would go on."

"Hey, what's this? My Aeris…worrying?" Zack cupped Aeris' chin in one of his hands, forcing her to look back up at him. "Aren't you the one always telling me that things will work out? That everything will be okay? Aeris, don't lose hope now. We've gotten by this long, we can make it a little bit longer, I promise. You just have to put your trust in the world. Continue being optimistic, Aeris. That's what helps me get by every day I'm without you. Knowing that you aren't worrying, that you believe in fate, in hope—that's what keeps me going."

Aeris sniffled as a couple of stray tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Zack. I'm trying, but I'm just so scared. Everything…everything feels wrong. My heart feels like it's breaking. I just…what if this is the last time I ever see you again? What if by some chance you can't come back to me?"

"Aeris, death itself couldn't keep me from you, and that's a fact. No matter what, we'll be together. We're meant to be, remember?" Zack lowered his voice and clutched Aeris close to his chest as she broke into fresh sobs. It hurt him to see her like this, so upset and scared. Zack pressed his lips to the top of Aeris' head and let a single tear fall down his face in sorrow. After a few minutes he gently pulled away and rubbed her arms consolingly.

Aeris wiped away her tears and gave Zack a genuine smile as he brought his lips down on hers. They would get through this one last mission like all the others. They would soon be together to live out the rest of their lives. Nothing could tear them apart.

**Shinra Headquarters**

Cloud stared at the tall mahogany door in front of him as he waited. This door led into the president's office. This was where he and Zack were supposed to meet the president and vice president for their latest mission. Of course, that all depended on when Zack showed up. Cloud glanced behind him at the sound of voices. He frowned at seeing Rude and Reno headed his way.

Reno was the first to notice the spiky blonde. "Mornin' Spike, how's life treatin' ya?"

"Fuck off," replied Cloud coldly.

"Now, is that any way to treat an old friend like myself, Spike?" Reno placed a hand over his heart, pretending to be wounded.

"Find yourself a whore last night, Reno? That's the only time I know you to be such an arrogant asshole," growled Cloud.

Rude chuckled. "Oh he found himself a girl alright—but he didn't even come close to gettin' laid."

"Thanks for the support, mate. It's always nice to know that you're on my side," muttered Reno making a face.

"Enough small talk," called out Zack as he stepped out of the elevator. "We came to talk business, not to talk about Reno's slumming."

Reno didn't say a word as he pushed open the mahogany door and led the men inside. The two Turks didn't move further into the office, instead staying close to the doorway until it was their turn. Zack and Cloud were the only ones who walked up to the desk of President Shinra.

The portly president stood with his backs facing the two SOLDIER men; he was gazing out the glass windows at the smoky city of Midgar, all the while smoking a cigar. Beside him was his son, Rufus.

Rufus was the first one to turn around and acknowledge the two men. "It's nice to see you two on time for once. Usually you put up a fight when you're summoned to speak to the president. There is a new, priority one mission on the table, boys. You've been nominated to silence one of the biggest threats to this presidency."

"Sephiroth," stated Zack simply. Rufus nodded.

The president turned around and spoke in a deep, gravelly voice. "I need you two to hunt Sephiroth down and kill him. You will be greatly rewarded for this service, but only if you get it done right. Hojo claims that you two are the best of the best…I guess we'll see about that." With those words the president strode out of the side door to the balcony.

Rufus was already speaking before the side door shut behind the president. "I don't care how you do it, but get rid of Sephiroth. I know you both want out of SOLDIER, and it can happen—if you complete this last mission. However, as far as the rest of your SOLDIER comrades are concerned, you two are traitors. Mercenaries of your own wills, if you please. We cannot have the lower ranks know that Shinra Inc. is behind the demise of one of the greatest 1st Class SOLDIER to ever walk this planet. It would destroy morale, and lessen our ranks. Do you understand?"

Cloud tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. "We take on this mission and walk out of Midgar as traitors," he stated simply.

Rufus nodded. "Yes. You'll have to watch your backs of course, but I'm fairly sure you two are competent enough to scrape by without your titles."

"You make it sound like a sure fire plan, Rufus. What makes you think it'll work?" demanded Zack.

"It has to work, or else we'll be forced to kill the two of you as well. You see, this is no ordinary mission. Everything is at stake here. Do we have an understanding?" Rufus looked back and forth between Zack and Cloud waiting patiently. It wasn't as though he was really giving them a choice.

"Consider it done," vowed Zack. He turned his back on the vice president and headed back towards the mahogany door. Cloud eyed Rufus with an evil glint in his eyes, but didn't say a word as he too turned to go. Once both men were out the door Rufus motioned for Rude and Reno to come forward. Minutes later Scarlet and Tseng came through the doorway to join their comrades.

"I heard I missed one helluva show yesterday," started Reno with a smirk on his face. He gave Scarlet a sly wink. "Lookin' good, babe."

"Grow up, Reno," shot back Scarlet darkly.

Tseng chuckled as he addressed Rufus. "Looks like you got what you wanted, Rufus. Your little Mako army has just been let loose."

Rufus didn't crack a smile. "As soon as Sephiroth is dead I want _them _dead as well. But for now I want us to concentrate on the second highest priority on Shinra's list. AVALANCHE must go. I want all four of you to be on this one, got it? All opposition to Shinra _will _end one way or another. I want these vigilantes taken care of before they start a civil war within Midgar. Don't make me find another group to take on this project."

"We've got it covered, Rufus. No one's been able to withstand the Turks before," replied Tseng with an icy tone.

**Sector 7**

**Train Graveyard**

A tall, well built dark man stood in front of a wrecked train with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He wore a dark grey vest open over a dark green undershirt, black pants and matching combat boots. His dark hair was styled in a close shave matching the growing stubble on his face, giving him a sinister look. Flexing his shoulders wearily the man's right forearm glinted in the dim sunlight. A machine gun barrel was in place of a regular prosthetic arm. All in all the man seemed dangerous.

Behind him stood three others dressed in rag tag clothing. A man with reddish brown hair, dark eyes, and a slender build; a woman with bright red hair and blue eyes; and a rotund man with dark eyes and hair. They were known simply as Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge respectively.

The woman was the first to speak up. "What's the plan, Barret? The Turks have been crawling around the slums lately."

The man known as Barret grunted. "We stick to the original plan people. We bring down Shinra, Inc. But first things first, we gotta find ourselves a better hideout than this damn graveyard."

Wedge shuddered as he looked around. "No kidding. This place gives me the heebie-jeebies."

Biggs snorted. "Everything freaks you out."

"Aw, shaddup," growled Barret. "We're gonna have to split up for the next few days. We'll meet back here in a week."

"What's the order of business?" asked Jessie with a slight frown.

Barret grinned. "Keep your eyes and ears open for recruits to the cause. Oh, and would it kill you three to actually keep yer yaps shut for once? I ain't in the mood to switch hideouts again this month."

"Got it," said Biggs sighing.

"Good. Don't forget, you see a Turk you turn the other cheek. We ain't ready to take 'em on yet. But day…one day things are gonna change, and Shinra, Inc. ain't gonna know what the fuck hit 'em."

**A/N—More characters, more twists. Hope it was good.**


	7. Favors

**Disclaimer: Still don't own this stuff.**

**Sector 7**

Jessie made her way through the crowded streets, nodding hello to the various people she knew by sight, if not by name. Her breath caught when she caught sight of a familiar face. Jessie ducked behind a couple of crates piled atop each other and waited for Reno to pass by. Instead the red headed Turk seemed to stop in front of the building her hiding spot was beside. She continued to watch as Reno inspected the front of the building thoughtfully before turning and walking away.

"Now what do you suppose caught his eye?" Jessie murmured to herself as she slipped out from behind her hiding spot. She went to stand in front of the building Reno had been inspecting and made a face. It wasn't anything special.

The wooden building was rundown with cobwebs in place of windowpanes and rotting floorboards on the porch. The front door was boarded shut and a blank billboard sat atop the roof, peeling with age. Jessie shook her head and glanced back the way Reno had vanished. Out of all the Turks, he was the oddest one of them all.

Then again, glancing back at the building, it didn't look very used. Jessie mentally noted down the location to mention to Barret the next time she saw him. If Reno never came back this building would be the perfect hideout for AVALANCHE.

**Wall Market**

Reno glanced over at the apartment building before heading straight towards the bar. He would deal with Tifa later, first he needed to meet with Tseng. Reno pushed the swinging doors of the bar open and nodded a brief hello at the bartender. With a jaunty air the red headed Turk made his way over to the back table where Tseng was seated.

The dark haired leader of the Turks barely looked up as Reno took a seat. His dark eyes knitted thoughtfully as Reno fidgeted in front of him. Finally Tseng said, "Rumor has it you've taken in a girl, Reno."

"What? Did Rude tell you? The bloody bugger—I told him to keep his mouth shut!" grumbled Reno with a frown.

Tseng chuckled. "Rude didn't tell me—some lowlife has been spreading tales about this girl you've picked up. Seems she took down Jagger and his boys last night…and the last anyone saw of her she was seen in the company of a Turk. You were the only one of my team unaccounted for last night."

"Yeah, yeah. She's pretty tough, Tseng. I think we could use her, you know?"

"You do, do you? Are you sure you're thinking about the job and not sex?" tossed back Tseng challengingly.

Reno shrugged. "Does it matter? I always get the job done, yo."

"Which is why I'm willing to forget she's staying with you. Apparently Jagger is still sore over the whole ordeal. How well trained is she in martial arts?"

"She didn't work up a sweat going up against four guys twice her size. She's got a nasty temper though. I'm afraid my apartment's gonna be torn apart when I return," replied Reno rubbing his forehead wearily.

Tseng nodded absently. "You think you can use her? How?"

"She's new. I've been thinkin' since I found her. She's hurtin'—you can see it in her eyes. I can charm her to our side, Tseng; get her to work for us. I was down in Sector 7 today. You remember that building falling apart—the one that used to be a bar? I'm thinking of fixing it up—putting the girl to work there. AVALANCHE wouldn't expect a tiny little thing like her to be workin' for the Turks. The drunks always talk—and I bet a hundred Gil they'd talk to her."

"Would she go for it?" questioned Tseng mulling the idea over in his brain.

"I dunno, but it's worth a shot, ain't it?"

Tseng lapsed into silence, making Reno fidget even more. "Fine," he relented quietly. "It's a sound proof plan, and you know it. I want this girl on our side, Reno. No buts about it. Charm her, seduce her—do whatever you have to do to tag this girl as a Turk."

"Tag her? Aw hell, Tseng, I haven't even been tagged yet," groaned Reno. "It's gonna take a lot of convincin' to tag this girl."

"Then you better get to work. Besides, it's high time you showed just how loyal you are to the Turks. You're overdue for a tagging, Reno. You've been here longer than Rude, but he's already a tagged member. I'm placing you in charge of this girl and dismantling AVALANCHE. Rude can help you."

"What about you and Scarlet?"

"I think it's time we replaced Scarlet. And as for me…well, I have the Ancient to deal with, remember?"

"Right, right. Forget I asked." Reno sighed and slumped in his seat as Tseng got up. Reno watched his boss walk out of the bar before motioning for the bartender to bring him a drink. He needed to be in better spirits if he was going to deal with Tifa.

**Sector 3**

Tseng ambled casually through the streets with his eyes fixed on one house in particular. He slipped behind a pillar and leaned against a ramshackle building to study the house in question. After a few minutes he saw what he was looking for. Aeris Gainsborough.

The young woman was oblivious to the world as she watered the plants in her small rooftop garden. Tseng smirked to himself as the girl's mother, Elmyra, came into view. The two women conversed for a moment before disappearing into the house. Tseng drifted further into the shadows as the women emerged through the front door.

He waited until they were a safe distance ahead of him before following. Many minutes later he stopped to watch as they entered a crumbling church. He chuckled in amusement at the irony of the situation. The Ancient had seemed to find a safe haven inside a holy temple.

"How purely typical of her. But now at least I know where to find her when the time comes. It won't be much longer, Aeris, before the whole gang is together again for one last time." Tseng gave another cynical laugh before stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning his back on the church.

From the entrance of the church Aeris watched the long haired man vanish in the crowed streets. She heaved a small sigh and turned back to join her mother who was currently watering the flowerbed that managed to grow inside the abandoned church.

"It's so comforting here," murmured Elmyra with a content sigh.

Aeris smiled in agreement. "Yes, it's like a little piece of heaven. I wish more people would come to visit this place, though. It seems so lonely without people."

"Give them time, my darling daughter. We live in a troubled world. No one has time for serenity anymore."

"I guess not…but I wish people would see the beauty in the world and stop thinking about money." Aeris frowned as she settled her self amongst the flowers. With a gentle hand she began to tidy up the flowerbed, humming to herself peacefully. Elmyra watched with a sad smile on her face as she too lowered herself to her knees and began to flatten the dirt surrounding the flowers.

Peace was hard to come by these days, and if one was able to happen upon it then they were truly lucky.

**Wall Market**

Reno pushed the front door of his apartment open tentatively and breathed a large sigh of relief when nothing was thrown at him. Pushing the door open further, Reno stepped inside his apartment and shut the door behind him. He was somewhat surprised to find Tifa in the kitchen making a meal.

"I was wondering when you were going to return," remarked the brunette bluntly. She didn't bother to turn and acknowledge Reno; she simply kept an eye on the stove.

"Well I figured you were, you know, still angry about earlier," replied Reno sheepishly. He put a hand back behind his neck and rubbed his back anxiously.

Tifa glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "You've been gone all day…I had plenty of time to get over it."

"That's good to know, love. So what are you making?"

"Fried rice."

"Oh, that's nice."

Tifa allowed herself a small smile as she sensed the red head's discomfort. "Would you like some? It's the least I can do for you for letting me stay here for a while."

Reno grinned. "That'd be great." He pulled out a stool from the counter and settled himself down to watch Tifa finish cooking. "I am sorry about earlier, you know," started Reno cautiously.

"It's alright. He just surprised the hell outta me. How's his nose?" Tifa busied herself by dividing the rice between two bowls. She quickly set them on the counter, along with silverware and napkins before pulling out the stool next to Reno.

"He'll live. So, I was thinking, you're gonna need a job while you're stayin' here, aren't ya?"

"I wasn't planning on sticking around for very long," said Tifa making a small face.

Reno held up his hands to prevent any more arguments from her. "I know that, but you can't expect to walk to wherever it is you think you're going, can you? Buses cost quite a bit of Gil these days, love. I'd be more than happy to lend you some…but I figure you really don't want to be indebted to me for much longer, do you?"

"No. What kind of job?"

"Well, I was thinking of starting up my own little business," started Reno. "There's a building that needs to be fixed up in Sector 7—it used to be a fine little bar once upon a time, until the hard times settled in and everyone lost their jobs. Now it's falling apart, but it would draw in a nice crowd once I got it up and running."

"A bar?" repeated Tifa doubtfully. "You want me to help you run a bar? Like some sleazy waitress?"

"Now, love, you're reading me all wrong here. I never said anything about me running the bar. I was going to let you run the bar. Chaps would like you ten times better than little ol' me any day. 'Sides, I work at Shinra. I don't have time to run a bar. But you can run it for me and I'd just pop by and check on you every evening. What do you say?"

"Where will I stay?"

Reno chuckled. "Well you're more than welcome to stay here as long as you like, darlin', or we can fix you up a room at the bar. It's your choice. We have to do a lot of renovating first, and then we can make the tough decisions later."

Tifa pursed her lips in thought. The offer was a good one. She needed money if she was ever going to leave Midgar, and she really did owe Reno for helping her out so far. Then again, working at a bar could keep her in Midgar longer than she would like…but there was always a small chance that Cloud was somewhere in the city with SOLDIER. Tifa knew if that was the case then she wanted to explore every opportunity she had to find him before taking off. She couldn't just turn her back on the past now, not without checking out every available possibility.

"It's a deal," she said after a while.

"Good." Reno settled down to eat his meal when Tifa spoke up in a quiet voice.

"Can I ask another favor of you?"

"Anything," murmured Reno truthfully.

"You work at Shinra…you must see the men in SOLDIER every once in a while, right?" Tifa continued at Reno's encouraging nod. "See, there's this guy…he's an old friend…of sorts, and he left home five years ago. I haven't heard from him since…and I was…well, I was wondering if you…if you could see if he was still…alive." Tifa ducked her head to avoid Reno's eyes, chewing on the bottom of her lip nervously.

"What's his name?" questioned Reno gently.

"Cloud. Cloud Strife."

Reno's eyes widened in surprise, but he smoothed his face into an unreadable look. Luckily Tifa still wasn't looking at him. This was an interesting surprise—and not entirely welcome. This girl had ties to Spiky. The kid on Mako. The kid who was now out searching for Sephiroth. And Reno had heard rumors that Spiky had joined SOLDIER to impress a girl and win over her heart. Judging by the look on Tifa's delicate face Cloud already had her heart and didn't even know it. Reno swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. He had to tread carefully here, or he would lose Tifa's potential.

"I'll check into it, love," he choked out after a brief silence.

Tifa lifted her head and gazed at Reno with tear filled eyes. "Really?" she murmured hopefully. Reno nodded. Before he realized what was happening Tifa was out of her chair and wrapping her arms around his neck. Startled, Reno wrapped his arms around Tifa, gathering her close as she cried tears of gratitude into his blue blazer.

This really was a strange turn of events, and Reno wasn't sure he liked it one bit.

**Somewhere on the Far Outskirts of Midgar**

Cloud chucked a small stick into the blazing fire moodily. Beside him Zach was lounging with his arms over his head, half awake and half asleep. Cloud envied his companion the ease in which he lived. Zach was carefree, brave, and had everything going for him. Cloud on the other hand was still trying to formulate a reply to the last letter he had received from Tifa.

There were so many things he wanted to tell her…but he knew he could not. He hoped she was safe wherever she was. Maybe she had made it to Kalm. Maybe she was happy. Maybe she had met someone else. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

"You know, we can stop at Kalm to see if she's there. It's as good a place as any to ask people if they've seen Sephiroth lately," remarked Zach without taking his arms off his head.

"Maybe," agreed Cloud sullenly. He eyed the fire absently, his mind drifting back to events three years ago, but he shook those thoughts away before he could remember the helplessness he had felt then. Cloud wasn't the same person anymore, the Mako had seen to that. But, he wasn't sure he liked the person he had become. He felt cut off from his past…and Cloud wasn't ready to let go of his past that easily. If he did, he would lose the one thing that kept him going day after day.

And Cloud would die without Tifa.

**A/N: It's been a while, but I finally felt inspired to write up this chapter, and I must say I kind of like it. Of course, it's way past my bed time and I'm totally avoiding my homework, but at least I have another chapter up, right?**


	8. Housecleaning

**Disclaimer: This stuff doesn't belong to me. **

**Kalm**

Cloud blew out a frustrated breath as he stepped out of the hotel. No one inside had seen anyone remotely resembling Sephiroth—then again, it had taken Cloud close to thirty minutes to get anyone to come out from under the check-in desk after he had mentioned Sephiroth's name. Apparently the dynamic First Class SOLDIER was feared far and wide.

With a firm jaw Cloud made his way to a small stone wall beside the hotel and sat down. Placing his chin in his hands he propped his elbows atop his knees, staring at the ground moodily.

He was tired of being in SOLDIER; the truth was he had been tired of it for years. Cloud wanted to return home…but he no longer had a home to return to. Shaking his head, Cloud quickly tore his mind away from what had happened three years ago. He couldn't think about it…he didn't want to think about because what stood out above the fire, the blood, the screams, and the tears….what stood out the most was Tifa. The haunted look in her eyes…

"Didja find anything?" asked Zack plopping down beside his comrade, waking Cloud from his brooding.

"Nothing but scared folk," replied Cloud without moving an inch.

Zack rolled his eyes as he recognized the mood Cloud was in. "Would you write her a letter already?"

"What for? I don't even know where she is."

"She can't have just disappeared, Cloud. She's out there somewhere, waiting for you. Just a write a damn letter while I check out the tavern. You're no good when you're thinking about your girl. We don't need you to get in any fights today."

Cloud's eyes followed Zack as the dark haired SOLDIER stood up and headed towards the tavern. As soon as Zack disappeared inside the tavern Cloud finally sat up. Maybe Zack had the right idea. Maybe writing a letter to Tifa would clear things up for him. The blonde pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from the pile of traveling gear at his feet and poised them over his knee.

Almost two hours later Zack returned from the pub to find Cloud folding up a piece of paper and placing it inside an envelope. Zack watched with a bemused smile as Cloud scribbled a name on the envelope and sealed it shut.

"I take it you finally wrote something?" murmured Zack. Cloud nodded silently. He fingered the envelope thoughtfully. Zack continued speaking. "You should send it back to Midgar to someone who can hunt your girl down. I'd send it to Reno—he's good at sniffing people out, better than the other Turks there."

"I guess…"

"Cloud, just do it. If anyone can find your girl it'll be Reno. Trust me on this one, would you? Now pack up, some drunk saw Sephiroth pass by Kalm last night. He was wandering around spouting some mumbo-jumbo about eternal glory and his mother. The guy's turning into a real kook if you ask me."

Cloud glanced up with a slight grin on his face. "No one did, they just told you to hunt the kook down."

"Ha. Ha. You're a funny man, you know that? I wanna catch him as soon as possible so we can get the hell outta Shinra clutches. I miss the thinking for myself part," retorted Zack throwing his pack of items over his shoulders as Cloud grabbed his own.

"You're the boss."

"Does your girl know what she's gotten herself into? I'd trade you in if I were her."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just find Sephiroth, huh?" replied Cloud shrugging off Zack's remarks. The blonde SOLDIER shook his head and brushed past his friend to head out of town. In his hands he still held the letter he had written to Tifa. The next chance he got he'd send it to Reno in Midgar. Zack was right about that too. Reno was the only one who would be able to find Tifa for Cloud.

**New Nibelheim**

Scarlet tapped her red nails impatiently against her arm as she waited for Hojo to get out of the jeep. He was the slowest man she had ever met—and that was saying a lot considering the men she worked with. The Turks were known for taking their own sweet time just to stand up. Scarlet was beginning to wonder if Hojo had taken any lessons from Reno in that annoying habit.

"Hurry up, old man, I don't have all day!" snapped Scarlet darkly. Anger made her voice lower even more, almost sounding like a breathy whisper. Or hiss, depending on the way one interpreted it.

"What could I possibly be keeping you from, Scarlet? A potential date with some lowlife in the slums?"

"Fuck you." Scarlet turned her back on the aging scientist and gazed up at the large mansion in front of them. It was dark and falling into disrepair. Shingles hung on rusting hinges, ivy covered the front side of the house, making its color look darker than the original beige it had once been. Surrounding the mansion was a black wrought-iron gate.

It was hard to believe that Hojo had actually used the place to be his lab once upon a time. Of course, it was all in the past now. This had also once been his home…with his wife. Whatever had happened here was over and done with…Hojo didn't talk about his past anymore. He had clammed up after Sephiroth had lost his mind. And now no one knew much about the man's life before he had moved to Midgar.

Not that Scarlet cared any. Her sole purpose on accompanying Hojo to Nibelheim had been to just keep an eye on the scientist on behalf of Rufus. Apparently the vice-president was afraid Hojo would vanish if left to travel alone. And Rufus hadn't been talking about an accident of any kind; no, Rufus was worried Hojo would take off and go into hiding. It was a well known fact that Hojo wanted out of everything Shinra.

"Are you going to stand there all day, or are you planning on coming inside?" called out Hojo curiously. Scarlet blinked in surprise and noticed that the scientist had already walked through the gates and was headed up the walkway.

Cursing under her breath Scarlet quickly followed. This was kid work. If Rufus hadn't been the one to ask her specifically to come she would have had Reno or Rude do the job. Baby-sitting hadn't been on her resume when she joined the Turks a decade ago.

Hojo pushed the front door open and proceeded inside the mansion. Scarlet closed the door behind her, and waited for her eyes to become adjusted to the dim light. Cobwebs were plentiful, as well as dust.

"Nice place," she commented snidely.

"No one lives here anymore. Just monsters," replied Hojo quietly. Scarlet's eyes widened, and then narrowed. She glanced around the open room as Hojo shuffled his way up the creaking staircase. Monsters. Rufus definitely owed her big for this one.

Scarlet took a step towards the staircase when she heard a noise coming from the room to her right. She pulled her gun out from inside her coat and cocked it as she slipped into the room. She couldn't see a thing in the dark, just undistinguishable shapes that she thought to be furniture. As she turned to leave one of the shapes moved, jumping towards her. Without so much as a flinch Scarlet fired a single shot into the center of the object and watched it fall to the ground, unmoving. She didn't bother to see what it was as she retreated from the room.

With quick steps Scarlet scrambled up the staircase and glanced down the hallway. She heard another noise from a nearby room and headed in that direction. The room was relatively clean. Sunlight flitted onto the bed though the boarded window. Scarlet was ready to turn to go when she noticed another doorway. She stepped forward and glanced inside. A staircase spiraling downwards greeted her eye.

"Of course. It wouldn't be Hojo's mansion with a secret passage way." Scarlet stuck her gun back inside her blazer and headed down the stone stairs. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the scent of mildew. At the bottom of the staircase Scarlet slowly made her way down the dirt path. She was grateful that the moist dirt padded her heels, although she didn't appreciate the few places where her heels sunk in. She paused behind a small turn and inched her head to peek around the corner.

Hojo was emerging from a wooden doorway. He shut the door and looked ready to return when something caught his eye. With painstakingly slow steps the old man reached over to a dusty, wooden coffin resting against the wall. Hojo reached up and wiped away some of the dust before reaching over to open the cover. With a small grunt Hojo managed to open the coffin part way.

He stepped back in surprise, a silent curse on his lips at what he found. Scarlet leaned forward a little more to see who it was in the coffin. It was man. A smooth faced, dark haired man wearing a red cape wrapped around him. His mouth was partially covered by the top portion of his loose turtleneck styled shirt. His eyes were closed, as though he were asleep. The man's chest moved up and down rhythmically indicating that he was very much alive.

Scarlet took a step back and leaned against the stone wall, her heart beating a million miles per minute. She knew who the man in the coffin was. It didn't take a genius to figure it out after one look at his red outfit.

He was Vincent Valentine of the Turks. Formerly of the Turks. He had been the leader long ago—long before Scarlet had been born. Then one day he had simply seemed to vanish off the face of the planet. It had been rumored that Vincent had vanished after a run-in with Hojo…but that story was shrouded in mystery. No one knew the truth…not even Tseng. Scarlet took a deep breath and quickly turned to go up the stairs. She couldn't let Hojo find her here.

Meanwhile, Hojo was rubbing his chin uneasily. Of all the things to find in this mansion—the exact replica of his old mansion in Old Nibelheim—this man had not been expected. Hojo had thought Vincent had died in the fire when the old town had burned down at Sephiroth's hands. It was unnerving for the scientist to be wrong.

With a deep frown Hojo re-covered the coffin. He stood there staring at it for a while longer, lost in thought. Then, putting his hands behind his back, the old man shuffled back down the passageway. Footsteps echoed through the stone underground as Hojo ascended the stairway. There was a loud creaking sound as the hidden door closed shut.

A drip of water fell from the ceiling into a puddle disturbing the quiet. The passageway was dark as a few spiders spun webs. Then the coffin creaked open.

Vincent stepped out of his coffin, one hand going to touch the other which was covered with a dark glove. His eyes glittered in the darkness, and as silent as death he moved down the passageway with an unhurried air. He was a light sleeper…and Hojo knew that better than most.

By the time Vincent made it to one of the windows looking out onto Nibelheim, Hojo and Scarlet were making their way out the wrought-iron gate. Scarlet hopped into the driver's seat of the jeep and rubbed her back nervously. She had a strange feeling that someone was watching her. She glanced back at the mansion, but nothing out of the ordinary struck her fancy.

Hojo didn't bother looking at the mansion as he pulled himself up into the jeep. He knew Vincent was watching…just as he had always done long ago.

**Sector 7**

Rude leaned back against a wooden beam that propped up the small porch of the abandoned bar. He wore his trademark sunglasses despite the lack of sunlight in the polluted sky, and smoked a cigarette restlessly. He hated waiting, but that's what he was doing. Waiting for Reno to show his sorry ass so they could start the renovation project. Rude wasn't sure how he had gotten himself roped into this project; he wasn't in any hurry to see Tifa again. At that thought he brought a single hand up to his bruised nose.

"Damn bitch," he growled. Rude finished his cigarette and was putting it out with his shoe when Reno and Tifa arrived.

"Hey yo, didn't think you'd actually come," said Reno with a grin. Rude growled inaudibly. From behind his sunglasses his eyes were busy following every move Tifa made. She was inspecting the porch suspiciously, but Rude's eyes were glued to her lithe body. It wasn't everyday someone like Tifa showed up in Midgar. She had an optimistic air about her…and that was rare in the slums. Everyone here was downcast, and they never smiled.

Tifa turned to Reno, crossing her arms in front of her. "It looks like crap," she announced.

"Now, now, darlin', you're just not giving this place a chance. Once we've got it sparkling you'll think differently," replied Reno reassuringly.

Tifa narrowed her eyes. "I still think it looks like crap—and it doesn't look safe. Why can't you renovate a _different _place? Preferably one that won't fall down on my head."

Rude chuckled. "She's got you there, Reno. This place _is _shit."

Reno made a face. "Lovely. Now you're gonna take her side. Thanks, mate, I'm glad I know I can count on you."

"So what exactly are we going to do today?" asked Tifa with a sigh. She had a sinking feeling that Reno had his heart set on this particular rundown bar.

"Just poke around inside and get a feel for what needs to be done," murmured Reno with a bold wink. He chuckled at the disdainful look on Tifa's face as he stepped up onto the porch. The red head took out a slim lock picker from the sleeve of this blazer and stuck it into the keyhole. He jiggled it around and then the door swung open.

Tifa followed behind slowly with Rude right after her. The trio was cautious as they stopped to inspect the open room of the bar. On the far side of the wall a wooden counter top sat rotting away. The cabinets behind it were falling off their hinges and covered in dust. Broken chairs lay scattered on the floor and only one table was left. In the furthest corner on the right hand side of the wall sat a piano.

The ancient instrument looked the worse for wear but Tifa found herself drawn to it. She hadn't played the piano for years, but despite that length of time Tifa's fingers itched to run up and down a set of ivory keys once more.

Rude went over to the back stair way and disappeared up stairs as Reno drifted in the direction of the piano as well. Tifa took a seat on the old piano seat and lifted the lid of the piano. She pressed a couple of keys and winced at the sharp sounds they made. Sighing, Tifa shut the lid of the piano—it was out of tune. As the lid fell down, covering the piano keys Tifa heard a creaking sound beneath her. Without warning the floor beneath the piano and bench gave way.

Reno quickly reached out and grabbed Tifa roughly by the arm as the floor collapsed. Tifa, dangling in the air, stared at the broken piano beneath her in disbelief before slowly glancing up at Reno. Gritting his teeth the red head reached out for Tifa's other hand, which she obligingly gave him, so he could pull her up to safety.

Tifa swung a leg up onto the wooden floor and stumbled into a standing position and into Reno's arms. She clutched him tightly, burying her head in his blazer as she tried to stop her racing heart. It had been a close call—too close.

Rude burst down the stairs, but stopped short upon seeing Reno wrapped his arms around Tifa's petite frame. The bald Turk shook his head when he caught sight of the missing piano. "Told you this place was shit," he muttered. Reno replied by giving Rude the finger.

**Shinra Space Program**

**Rocket Launch Site**

Rufus stood tall as he stared up at the rocket before him. His hands were stuck in his pants pockets casually. A sharp breeze ruffled his hair, but the vice-president didn't move an inch.

Standing a few feet behind Rufus was Tseng. The leader of the Turks had his attention on an approaching man rather than the giant rocket ship. Tseng sensed trouble.

The approaching man was dressed in greasy coveralls with the top tied off at his waist. His light grey shirt was stained with sweat, and his black combat boots were specked with dry mud. Around his neck hung a pair of dog tags with an unreadable inscription on their metal surfaces. The man had short dark blonde hair that was matted down with a mixture of grease and sweat as well as a pair of goggles. His dark blue-grey eyes though showed all there needed to be known about this man. He wasn't one to be reckoned with.

"Cid Highwind, I must say it is almost an honor to meet you," said Tseng with a smirk on his face.

Cid growled. "Fuck off, Tseng. What are you doing here?"

"Inspecting your little project, Captain. It seems to be coming along nicely," remarked Rufus turning to glance over at the rough and tumble pilot.

"Glad you approve," snapped Cid, "but I was under the impression that you fuckers would leave me the hell alone 'til I was damn good and ready for lift off. Heard that from the damn fuckin' president himself."

"Such manners," chided Rufus, his eyes belying his growing anger.

"Yeah, like I give a flyin' fuck, Roofie. What d'ya want?" demanded Cid.

"You're lucky that you're such a good pilot, Highwind, or I'd shoot you down like a dog," murmured Rufus coolly.

Cid snorted. "Like hell you would."

"How much longer until you are ready to launch?" asked Rufus abruptly changing the subject.

"Soon."

"You've been saying that for years, Highwind."

"Yeah, and I like seein' that look on your ugly mug every time I say it too. The rocket's almost ready, asshole, just deal with it." Cid shook his head and began muttering under his breath as he walked away.

Tseng chuckled. "You have to admire his balls. On any other occasion he would be locked up or killed for his attitude towards Shinra…but he can get away with it now, and he knows it."

"Shinra needs to find a better pilot that Cid Highwind. I want someone who is loyal to me—and not his own fucking dreams!" grumbled Rufus.

"Speaking of which, look who's here." Tseng jerked a thumb over to a jeep arriving at the site. Inside were Scarlet and Hojo. The two men watched as Scarlet hopped out of the jeep and headed their way.

"How was the trip, Scarlet? Educational, I hope." Rufus's eyes sparkled in a teasing manner as Scarlet shot him a sour look.

"Next time you want someone to baby-sit your crazy scientist, get Reno or Rude to do it," she replied tersely.

"Aw, wasn't it fun?" questioned Tseng. "And here I thought you enjoyed doing Rufus' dirty work." The Turk laughed again as he sauntered away. Scarlet was glaring daggers at his back as Tseng joined Hojo.

"Don't let him get to you," said Rufus calmly. "So what did you find?"

"You mean besides a sleeping Turk from the past?" replied Scarlet bitterly.

Rufus frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I've found the body of Vincent Valentine, one time leader of the Turks. But it didn't look like the man was waking up anytime soon."

"Interesting. Anything else?"

Scarlet shrugged. "It was nothing more than a stop and go trip, Rufus. He has a lab hidden beneath the mansion—but I never got a chance to look inside. Personally, I don't think it would be worth much. Everything had to have been destroyed in that fire three years ago. There's nothing of importance there anymore."

"I hope you're right. I need you to do me another favor, Scarlet."

"What?" Scarlet gave the vice-president a dubious look. The last favor had been baby-sitting Hojo—she hoped this next one wouldn't be as lame as the other.

"I need you to stick around here and keep an eye on the Shinra Space Project. Cid Highwind is in charge—but I don't like his methods. I want to know the exact moment when that hunk of junk he calls a rocket ship is in the air, got that?" Rufus glanced at Scarlet who nodded sharply. "Good. I'll take Hojo back to Midgar with me. Enjoy your stay."

Scarlet took a deep breath to calm herself as Rufus walked away. She watched as he, Hojo, and Tseng boarded the presidential helicopter with Tseng in the cockpit. Scarlet shielded her eyes from the dust that was whipped up from the helicopter blades as it raised itself into the sky.

As the helicopter flew away Scarlet gazed around at the small scattering of men at the sight. They were all dirty and brawny men going about their work. The clink of tools on metal, the odd sound of torch blowers and metal cutters filtered through the air, adding to the feel of a workshop. Scarlet lowered her hand and sighed until her eyes fell on one Cid Highwind yelling orders to a couple of mechanics.

"Now _there_ is a challenge," she murmured to herself with a sly smile on her lips. Maybe this mission wouldn't be so bad after all.

**Sector 3**

Tifa juggled the two paper bags of groceries in her arms as she nearly avoided colliding into another passerby on the street. She wasn't sure why she had agreed to go and buy food so she could make Reno and Rude a meal back at the apartment—but she had. Of course the best convenience store in Midgar just happened to be all the way in Sector 3—and the prices were out of this world.

"10 Gil for a carton of eggs…what do they think they're selling? Golden eggs?" grumbled Tifa to herself. She continued to mutter about the high prices when she bumped into someone. Somehow Tifa managed to keep a hold of her groceries as a strong hand steadied her by the arm.

"Sorry 'bout that," said the deep voice.

Tifa glanced up at a tall dark skinned man with a bright smile. "Hey, it's no big deal. I shoulda been watching where I was going," replied Tifa.

"Right." The man was almost brusque in his reply as he turned to glance down beside him. Tifa followed his gaze and saw a tiny girl holding onto the man's pants with a red ball in her other hand. The little girl had chin length brown hair and the brownest eyes ever. Tifa felt herself smile comfortingly at the small girl, who grinned right back at her. It was then that Tifa noticed the machine gun on the man's arm.

"I'm Marlene," announced the small girl.

"Hi, Marlene. I'm Tifa. I'm kinda new here, so I haven't really gotten used to walking around on crowded streets yet," remarked Tifa.

"We could tell," muttered the man. Tifa raised an eyebrow at the man curiously. Obviously he wasn't a very friendly person.

"I'm sorry I bumped into you."

"I've seen you with that Turk," continued the man, ignoring Tifa's apology.

"Turk?" repeated Tifa dumbfounded.

"The damn red head who dresses in blue. Has a friend always wearin' shades—knowin' full well there ain't been sunlight in Midgar for ages."

"Uh-huh…and what does that mean? You don't like Reno?" Tifa shrugged indifferently. "So what? That's not my problem."

"He's bad news, that's what!" snapped the man angrily. Tifa took an involuntary step backwards in surprised. It wasn't often that someone displayed hostility towards her.

"Excuse me? What's your problem? Reno's helping me out…don't take your anger issues out on me just because you don't like Reno!"

The man shook his head. "You don't even know. Why don't you ask your new friend what being a Turk means, girl? You're a fuckin' screw-up if you decide to hang out with him."

Tifa gritted her teeth together. "Thanks for the warning. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get home."

"That's fine with me. C'mon, Marlene, let's go." The man turned to glance down at his side, but Marlene was nowhere to be found. "Shit! Where'd she go?"

Tifa looked around quizzically as the man turned around in a circle. She could sense his anger turning into panic. She shook her head and began to walk away, as sorry as she was the man had seemed to misplace daughter, she knew she wasn't welcome to help him out. He would probably blame her for Marlene's disappearance.

The man barely noticed Tifa edging away as he continued to look around for his daughter. "Marlene? Marlene, baby, where are you? Come to daddy." The man glanced out onto the street and his eyes widened in fear. There in the middle of the cobblestone road was Marlene picking up her red ball that had slipped out of her hands. Fear gripped his heart as he noticed a speeding bus heading straight towards her, but he was frozen to his spot. "Marlene! Get out of there!" he cried out.

Tifa turned her head sharply at the sound of a horn blaring down the street. Without a second thought Tifa dropped her groceries and darted into the street, running as fast as she could. She scooped Marlene into her arms as she crossed to the other side. Tifa clutched Marlene close to her chest as she felt the whoosh of the bus pass them by. Her breathing was ragged and she could feel Marlene shaking in her arms.

Around her Tifa could sense a crowd growing. Seconds later the man was at her side reaching for his daughter. Tifa handed Marlene over and bent down to catch her breath. For half a second she had glimpsed death…all for the sake of someone else…and the one face that had popped into her mind was Cloud.

Tears stung Tifa's eyes as the realization of what had just happened hit her. She wanted to a family. She wanted children of her own. She wanted Cloud. Tifa hastily wiped away her tears as the crowd started to drift away. When she looked up the man was staring down at her with conflicting emotions in his eyes. Part of him looked angry, part of him looked scared, and then part of him looked grateful.

"I—you—thank you," said the man finally.

Tifa nodded once. "No problem."

"I'm Barret."

"Don't judge someone you don't know without first getting to know them, because in the end you'll be way off," stated Tifa. Her lips formed a straight line as she turned and crossed the street again.

Barret watched as Tifa picked up her scattered groceries and then disappeared into the crowd. He bounced Marlene in his arms as he thought about his daughter's rescuer. He had seen Tifa walking with Reno earlier that day in Sector 7—he was sure of it; but, how could a girl as giving and sweet as her be mixed up with the likes of the Turks?

**A/N—Alrighty, another chapter, a couple more characters, and hopefully some more excitement. I hope it came out okay…I didn't particularly like the way the last part came out…but, oh well. At least it's a longer chapter, right?**


	9. Strange Ideas

**Disclaimer: Obviously this stuff isn't mine.**

**Shinra Space Program**

**Launch Site**

"Shit!" exclaimed Cid throwing down his wrench angrily. He cursed a few more times before sitting back on his heels and wiping the sweat from his brow. His eyes were bloodshot with the lack of sleep he had been functioning off of. Cid sighed and pulled out a cigarette from his coveralls. He lit it up and stuck it in his mouth as he stared at the piece of rocket ship he was working on.

His entire life had been spent dreaming about space. He had wanted to travel up amongst the stars longer than he could remember. And now he was getting closer to his goal…except there was one little detail that pissed him off about space travel: It was being funded by Shinra Inc. That was a low blow to a man who abhorred everything to do with the Shinra. But if that was the only way he was going to get to space, then so be it. He'd just suck it up and insult the people he hated every chance he got.

It was nice being the best pilot on the planet—he could get away with anything simply because Shinra needed him. Of course he'd be in some serious trouble once the rocket ship had been launched into space. Shinra would be itching to get rid of him by then, and that would make him a wanted man. And the worst part of that was the fact that Shinra had eyes and ears everywhere.

Speaking of which…Cid looked up with narrowed eyes as Scarlet appeared in sight. She was headed straight his way. A low growl formed in Cid's throat—the woman was dangerous with a capital D.

"It looks like you've been working yourself to death…you seem stressed," purred the red head seductively.

"I'm fine," snapped Cid turning back to the panel in front of him.

Scarlet cocked her head slightly, a slow smile growing on her face. "You know, I'm quite capable of helping you…de-stress."

"Fuck off, would ya? I'm busy here."

"A nice cold beer…a relaxing massage…some bedtime activities…I'm fairly sure one of those might help you unwind from all this…junk." Scarlet waved a hand, indicating the rocket ship in front of them.

Cid snorted without taking his eyes off the ship. "Not interested."

Scarlet's eyes narrowed slightly as she ran a perfectly manicured hand along one of Cid's arms. "Well, whenever you decide you'd like some company, my offer will still stand." Scarlet smirked as she turned to walk away, brushing past a lowly mechanic who was inching towards Cid.

Cid watched as the Shinra executive sashayed in the opposite direction. His face darkened and he muttered under his breath as the mechanic cleared their throat nervously. Cid turned to glare at the mechanic, his face softening slightly as he realized who it was. "What do ya want, Shera?"

"Um, well, you see, uh, that is, oh, um, lunch. I'm uh, making lunch, and was getting the uh, orders from all the uh, guys. Would you like something?" asked Shera nervously. The mechanic was a petite woman, with short auburn colored hair and light green eyes. She had a boyish figure, but a motherly heart. Cid wasn't sure how she had become a mechanic in the first place. Shera was a timid creature with a shy soul. She seemed better suited for housekeeping than working with machinery.

"Gimme the usual…oh and pop open a beer, would ya? It's been a fuckin' long day—I need somethin' to keep me going," replied Cid turning his back on Shera.

Shera nodded absently before realizing that Cid couldn't see her. "Oh, right, okay. Sure," she continued as she turned and walked away. Shera took a deep breath to still her beating heart. Bringing a hand up to her face, Shera could feel the traces of a deep blush in her cheeks. She hated the fact that she always seemed to ramble endlessly in Cid's presence, making her seem like something of an airhead. And Shera wasn't an airhead—she had graduated the top in her class, and was one of the best qualified mechanics working on the rocket ship. But around Cid she was a whole other story. The rest of the crew constantly mocked her for her timid manner, and Shera took all of it to heart.

With a small sigh Shera made her way over to a small tent in which the food supplies were stored. She set about making the usual sandwiches for the crew humming to herself quietly. She stopped suddenly and glanced up as Scarlet entered the tent. Shera felt her self go red as she studied the woman before her, and quickly dropped her gaze down to the food she was preparing.

Scarlet smirked at the other woman's unease. "How is it that you're a mechanic here? I didn't think women could be mechanics."

"Oh, well, I uh, you see, that is, um…I studied machinery in school…I'm qualified for uh, this um, type of work," mumbled Shera her hand's hurrying with the sandwiches on the table.

"Right. You just don't seem…competent in anything more than…cooking. Which is womanly enough for now, but you'll never land yourself a man if you don't develop some more skills…or physical attributes."

"Excuse me?" choked out Shera with wide eyes as her head shot up in Scarlet's direction.

"I'm just saying that if you ever expect to settle down with…well, anyone at this point in your life, you would do well to apply some makeup, put on a dress…and you should probably stuff your bra if you want to gather some much needed attention. Otherwise you're going to die an old spinster. But that might be a step up for you, wouldn't it? If you ask me you're nothing more than a lost cause. You should quit your job here and find work in some hellish mining town where you'll be welcome." Scarlet gave Shera the once over before walking back out of the tent with a bright smile on her face.

Getting rid of the competition was always the easy part when it came to seducing a man. Scarlet wasn't blind, she had seen the soft look on Cid's face when Shera had appeared. Whether or not the pilot knew it he had a soft spot for the meek mechanic, and it was more than obvious that Shera had a crush on him as well. And the one thing that Scarlet couldn't abide with was unconscious competition.

Inside the tent Shera's hands shook as she struggled to finish making sandwiches. Women like Scarlet—women who were satisfied with themselves, knew what they want and exactly how to get it—women like that made Shera feel the most insecure with herself. Shera wasn't confident in herself. She didn't necessarily believe in herself, despite all the support she had received from her parents during her school years. Deep down inside though Shera knew that Scarlet was right; she _was_ going to die all alone.

**A Few Miles Away **

**From the Chocobo Farm**

"We need to keep going," stated Zack glancing at Cloud sideways. "We don't have time to stop and ask for directions or whatever it is you think you wanna do at that farm over there."

"I just thought we could ask them if they'd seen Sephiroth pass by," retorted Cloud indignantly.

Zack rolled his eyes. "Sure, if you wanna spend three hours coaxing them to come out from under their beds after we mention his name."

"Well we're sure as hell not getting anywhere by just wandering around like idiots," growled Cloud to himself. His patience was wearing thin in the search for Sephiroth. Cloud and Zack kept wandering in hopes that they would come across some clue, or sign, that would tell them where the First Class SOLDIER had gone. So far they had come across nothing.

Until now.

Zack stopped short, squinting at an unfathomable shape in the distance. There was something odd about the way the object seemed to be moving at a rapid speed and in their direction. "Uh, Cloud," he started as he reached a hand towards the sword on his back, "I think we've got company."

Cloud looked up with a frown until he saw what Zack was talking about. A monster was headed straight their way. Cloud dropped his belongings to the ground at the same time as he reached for his own sword, brandishing it before him with a firm grip.

The monster was a large brute of a beast. It had thick, broad shoulders with arms as big as tree trunks. The claws on its feet and hands were long and sharp; on its oversized head it had two curled horns and a shaggy mane. Its color was a grayish blue, and it even had a long, whip-like tail.

The beast came to a halt, kicking up clods of grass in its wake, directly in front of Cloud and Zack. It eyed the two men carefully out of its large black orbs, before letting out a triumphant animal-like howl, beating its chest at the same time.

Zack flinched at the sound as he tightened his grip around his sword. Beside him he could sense already in motion. Cloud gritted his teeth as he stepped forward with a sharp swing of his sword, slicing at the chest of the beast. Barely a scratch was made as the monster turned its baleful gaze down at the spiky haired youth.

With a grunt Zack jumped up swinging his sword over his head, and down on the head of the beast, slicing one of its horns in half. The monster let out a guttural cry and slashed a set of claws at Zack, slicing part of the dark haired boy's clothing.

As Zack jumped backwards to avoid another swipe, Cloud twirled around with a mighty swing of his sword, hacking a deep cut into the belly of the beast. He ducked as the monster tried to jam its claws into Cloud's body while Zack hopped forward, digging the blade of his sword deep into the chest of the monster. Odorous, gray blood spilled out of the monster, dripping all over Zack and Cloud. It gave a quick swipe, knocking Zack off his feet just as Cloud dug the blade of his own sword into the monster's chest.

Cloud was knocked backwards as well, but when he looked up again the beast was swaying back and forth on its feet before finally falling to the ground with both swords sticking straight up in its still breast.

"Well, that was fun," muttered Zack as he pushed himself to his feet.

Cloud snorted. "Where the hell did it come from? It acted like we were what it was after."

Zack grinned. "My guess would be that Sephiroth is making friends finally. Weird ones, but friends nonetheless."

"Nice. That must mean he's around here somewhere." Cloud shook his head and went to pull his blade out of the monster's chest. He made a face and wiped away the foul smelling blood before it could dry on the blade of his sword.

Zack did the same thing with a solemn face. "If Sephiroth really did send the beast after us you can bet he's around watching to see how we handled it. He's a SOLDIER, Cloud. He knows what he's doing—and he's going to watch every move we make before he kills us."

**Nearby**

Sephiroth studied the faraway SOLDIER boys thoughtful. They had potential. Too much potential. That was why Shinra had sent them after him. He was dangerous—or so he had heard. Sephiroth wasn't much for idle gossip. He had more important things to worry about. Like the reunion.

Mother would be upset if he didn't come soon. He couldn't keep her waiting. If only he knew where…No matter. Nothing mattered anymore. One day he and Mother would be united once more.

With narrowed eyes Sephiroth stood straight and tall, ignoring the slight breeze that caressed his face and ruffled his long silver hair. In his hand he loosely held his large sword pointed down at the ground. His eyes shone brightly, induced with Mako.

"No one will stop me from eternal glory," he said to himself as his eyes followed Cloud and Zack down in the grassy plains. "No one will find Mother but me. No one will complete what must be done but me."

Sephiroth lifted his sword up onto his shoulder and turned away from the plains and towards the mountains. With a faraway look in his eyes he began a slow trek into the snowy capped hills with one thought on his mind. He must protect Mother at all costs.

Even if it meant leading his pursuers on a wild goose chase around the planet.

**Sector 1**

"So where are we going again?" asked Tifa impatiently.

Reno glanced back with a grin as Tifa dutifully followed him down the dusty street. "I've got some overdue business my boss wants me to take care of, love."

"I thought you said you were getting a tattoo."

"Same thing. The tattoos show that I am dedicated to my job."

"Which is?" Tifa waited for an explanation but it never came. Reno kept his mouth shut and stopped in front of a small shop with a bright red sign in the window.

"Here we are," he announced cheerfully opening the door for her.

Tifa rolled her eyes as she stepped into the dark shop with Reno right behind her. "One of these days you're gonna have to tell me what the hell you do for a living, Reno, or you'll find yourself in a world of hurt, buddy."

"One day," promised Reno raising a single finger into the air, "but not today, alright?"

Tifa nodded along, grinding her teeth together just as a hairy man walked into the front of the shop. He blinked his beady eyes from out behind his bead, mustache, and long flowing hair. "Reno? I never thought I'd see the day that you would actually walk through those doors for a tagging," teased the man in a raspy voice.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get it over with, huh? The boss is getting a little over excited that I haven't been in here yet. He's starting to get cranky, yo," replied Reno running a hand through his wild red hair. It was growing longer now, a few more weeks and he'd have himself a small ponytail.

"I'm not cranky," said a grave voice appearing from the back of the shop. Tseng crossed his arms in front of his chest as he came to stand beside the hairy man. "Better tag him good, Bernie, I can't afford to have him running around like a free man anymore. Damn ass is starting to think he's better than everyone else."

"Gotcha. Sit yer ass down, Reno, and let me do my magic," instructed Bernie. Reno made a face as he took a seat in a small metal chair as Bernie set about gathering his instruments.

Tifa fidgeted in her spot as her eyes wandered around the shop. It was a shabby little place with dim lights and dirty walls. She hoped the needles were sterile since there was no way in hell she was going to wait on Reno hand and foot if he caught some sort of disease or infection. Her eyes finally fell on Reno's boss, and she was surprised to see that he was staring at her with an intense look on his face.

"I don't believe we've met," started the dark haired man softly. "I am Tseng, Reno's boss."

"I'm Tifa Lockheart." Tifa shook the man's offered hand. "So what does Reno actually do for a living? He won't tell me yet."

"For good reasons!" protested Reno sharply from his seat. "I promised I'd tell you in good time, darlin'."

"Uh-huh, this coming from the guy who wants me to work in a hunk of junk he calls a bar," retorted Tifa.

Tseng chuckled. "I've got to hand it to you, Reno; you always manage to get yourself in trouble with women faster than you can blink."

"Ha, ha. You're a funny man, Tseng," muttered Reno darkly. The red head lapsed into silence as Bernie pushed the chair back.

With a shake of his head Tseng turned to Tifa. "Actually, Reno has the right idea not to tell you about his job yet. It's highly classified work, and if he were to bring you to light on his career your own life could be put in jeopardy."

"Is life at Shinra, Inc. that dangerous?" questioned Tifa.

"It can be, if you allow it to be. Let's just say that Reno's line of work deals with security matters," replied Tseng.

"You're letting Reno work with security? Isn't that dangerous? The man wants to fix up this hunk of junk he calls a bar so I can work in it for him. Part of the floor has already been destroyed. If he can't even pick out a safe, decent place to own, what makes you think he can protect Midgar?"

"That's a low blow, Teef," growled Reno through clenched teeth. Bernie was hunched over the man's face with a single needle, working away.

"There are times when I question Reno's lack of a brain, but it doesn't change the fact that he comes highly qualified for the job," chuckled Tseng. "Give him some time and he'll show you why I've made him my right hand man."

"If I'm still alive by then," murmured Tifa shooting a dagger eyed look over at Reno. "I don't know if that damn bar can handle a renovation."

"Yeow! Watch what you're doin' to me, mate! This is my face we're talking about—not some coloring book!" screeched Reno sharply.

Tifa's eyes softened instantly at the pain Reno was in. She was slowly growing a soft spot for the red head. "Is he gonna be alright?" she asked Tseng.

The dark haired man nodded. "Tagging is a long time ritual in our department. It means that a person is claiming loyalty to us, and only us. Very rarely is anyone ever tagged who leaves our force. It's a small step in joining an elite brotherhood in Shinra ranks. Reno's just been putting it off for far too long. As my right hand he should have gotten tagged years ago—our old leader would never have let him get this far without it…but I'm a little more lenient. If I had forced Reno to be tagged earlier than this I would have risked losing his loyalty."

"So you guys are like a family? I think that's a nice way to be a team—especially if all you have is each other," said Tifa thoughtfully.

"Where are you from, Tifa?" questioned Tseng glancing at the slender girl beside him.

"Nibelheim. But I haven't been there in years. I had to leave after an accident at home. My old martial arts teacher took me away and I traveled with him for a while. He died and I was headed to Kalm to find some work when I ended up here."

"What was life like in Nibelheim?"

Tifa paused, choosing her words carefully. "I…I have trouble remembering my past. I know that I'm an orphan…I just can't remember what happened to my parents. I don't even know what kind of accident I was in—but whatever it was it made me lose part of my past. I remember nothing but a few faces, and a few things said here and there. But whatever happened three years ago—I can't go back anymore. It's more of a feeling than anything else. I just don't remember, and from what my old teacher used to tell me in his own cryptic way…I don't think I want to remember. The future is all that matters now."

"That's—ow!—a nice way—bloody hell!—to put it," said Reno from his spot. Tifa shrugged, her gaze falling to the ground. Tseng studied her carefully, his mind reeling away with what Tifa had just told him. Reno had mentioned she had ties with Cloud, but it seemed she remembered only him and not the terrible incident three years ago. That would work out better than he or Reno could have hoped.

"Done!" announced Bernie triumphantly. Both Tseng and Tifa looked up in surprise as Reno's face was revealed. On his cheekbones were two symmetrical red lines.

"That's it?" asked Tifa, echoing Tseng's thoughts.

Bernie grinned. "Yep. Thought I'd better make Reno's tagging visible for all to see. Everyone gets something different when they're tagged—and I do all the tagging, so I know who has what. No tat is ever repeated."

"You've done a fine job as usual, Bernie. Perhaps we'll be sending you another recruit in the nearby future. Well, Reno, I better get going. I have business to attend to, and you—you must escort Miss Lockheart home so she isn't attacked." Tseng turned to Tifa with a small bow of his head. "It was nice meeting you. I hope to see you again soon."

Tifa nodded with a small smile on her face as Tseng walked out the front door of the shop. She turned her attention back to Reno whose own face was crinkled in pain.

Bernie snorted with a shake of his head. "Don't be a baby. The pain'll go away in a few days. He's all yours, darlin'. Good luck with him."

"Thanks," murmured Tifa dryly.

"Don't sound so concerned over my well being, love. It's not like I care any, yo," grumbled Reno as he got to his feet. Tifa rolled her eyes as he slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Now, be a doll and walk a poor fellow home, would ya?"

"Just as long as you don't try anything funny," replied Tifa with a stern look on her face, her arms still crossed in front of her chest.

"Now why would I go and do something funny?" demanded the red head.

"Because you think you can get away with it for being 'injured'?" suggested Tifa as they walked out of the shop.

"Well you can't blame a bloke for trying, can you?"

"Do anything remotely funny and you'll be lying in a heap in the middle of the road."

"Gotcha."

**Shinra Headquarters**

Hojo eyed the red beast in the glass tubing carefully, consulting his clipboard every few minutes. He muttered to himself under his breath, his attention completely on his job when he felt a human presence beside him. The old scientist glanced at the figure out of the corner of his eye, and cursed under his breath.

"Reeve Tuesti, to what do I owe the pleasure?" asked Hojo through gritted teeth. "A little far from your own department, aren't you? The last I checked Urban Development was located on the other side of this building."

"I only came to see if the rumors were true, Hojo," replied Reeve calmly. The man was a tall, well dressed figure with neatly trimmed black hair and brown eyes.

"Does this beast really talk?"

"Only when it wants to. What rumors have you been hearing?"

"That your experiments are off gallivanting around the planet on a power trip, all wanting to kill each other. Shinra is getting quite the reputation from your experiments these days, Hojo. As the Head of Urban Development, it's my job to listen to the people in places that Shinra, Inc. plans to build new Mako reactors. You can imagine my surprise at the response I have been getting lately.

"No town wants a Mako reactor in their lives if it means having men like Sephiroth around. It wasn't that long ago when Shinra was being hailed for its achievement in economic glory for Midgar. Now it's a different story. The public hates us, Hojo, and we all have your creation to thank for that."

Hojo snorted. "Is that why you came, Reeve? To complain that your job has become harder? You're a businessman, Reeve, do your business and stay out of mine. What I do is for the future of Shinra, Inc. and this planet. I will go down in history as the most revered man in science. How will you go down?" With those words the old man hobbled out of the lab with an indignant air.

Reeve watched Hojo leave before turning back to the red beast in front of him. The creature eyed him carefully, its eyes studying every inch of Reeve's body. It was almost as though the animal was reading Reeve's soul.

"You are a magnificent beast. Perhaps Hojo has the right idea…perhaps not all of his experiments will destroy Shinra's reputation…however…" Reeve turned away thoughtfully, one hand rubbing his chin. "A talking beast…yes…that could work." He continued to mumble to himself as he too left the lab. Following his every move were two wild eyes of a beast.

**A/N—It's been a while, I know, but midterms appeared out of nowhere. Anyway here's a new chapter and I'm already working on the next one before Spring Break gets here. **


	10. Setbacks

**Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me here.**

**Sector 3**

"Would you hurry up?" demanded Jessie with a deep frown on her face. Biggs rolled his eyes but quickened his pace to match that of his partner. They had been scouring Sector 3 all day for a new hideout, and they had kept their ears open as well in case some news of Shinra, Inc. popped up.

"Jess, I think we're done for the day. There ain't any places here for us to hide out in. Even that abandoned church has regular visitors—we're just gonna hafta tell Barret he's out of look. There ain't any places left in Midgar. We're gonna hafta leave the city," grumbled Biggs.

Jessie sighed. "You know Barret won't like that. He's been in a bad mood for over a week now—ever since he bumped into Reno's girl. We've gotta bring _something _back to the train graveyard to show that we've actually been working our asses off for him."

"Let's face it, there's nothing goin' on worth talkin' about." Biggs stopped short, and Jessie reluctantly followed suit. She knew Biggs was right; there was nothing worth hearing in the slums today. There hadn't been much to talk about lately anywhere for that matter. Even the mighty Sephiroth had been keeping a low profile outside the city walls—no new burnings or any blood shed. It was business as usual.

The two vigilantes lapsed into silence and moved closer to a nearby wall of a rundown building. Biggs leaned back with a single foot propped up on the wall and lit a cigarette as Jessie crossed her arms in front of her chest. Both minds were miles away, each trying to come up with a new plan.

Suddenly, a passing conversation gained their attention. Two middle aged men were aimlessly walking past, talking about the Turks. "I can't believe he finally got himself tagged," said one man tiredly.

"I'm not surprised. He's the most dangerous Turk out there—he's a drinking man, and all drinking men are dangerous with weapons," muttered the other man.

Biggs quickly stepped forward, intercepting the two men. "Who got tagged?"

The two men exchanged glances before looking back at Biggs. The first man answered with a shake of his head. "You young'uns never pay attention. Reno got tagged. He has two bright red marks on his face for all to see. It's common knowledge that the Turks are stepping out from under Shinra's shadow. They're gathering more recruits for training…and they have eyes and ears everywhere. That damn group AVALANCHE has turned our lives upside down. We can't go nowhere without a Turk inspecting us these days."

"Yep," agreed the other man, "times are changing. First Sephiroth is let loose on the planet, and now the Turks are preparing for war."

Jessie's lips were pursed thoughtfully as the two men continued on their way arguing over the greater threat to their nonexistent lives, Sephiroth or the Turks. She turned to Biggs with a grin. "At least we'll have somethin' to tell Barret today."

"Yeah, but it's gonna put him in one helluva mood. He hates hearin' when the public disses AVALANCHE," replied Biggs rubbing the back of his neck.

"I was talking about the tagging and recruitment that the Turks are doing—that's huge news! If Reno finally got himself tagged you can bet Tseng is startin' to crack down on his boys. That's bad news for us…we'll have to be extra careful from now on. Come on, we better get back to the train graveyard now." Jessie turned to walk away, bumping head on with another girl close to her age. The two girls fell to the ground, a basket full of flowers scattering all over the cement, with the basket landing on the cement with a loud thunk.

"Oh dear," said the girl in pink staring at her flowers on the ground.

Jessie gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that—I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's alright, it happens more times than you would believe. I'm fine, really." The girl sat on her knees and began to gather the fallen flowers back into her basket. Jessie quickly helped out. Soon all the flowers were gathered and Biggs helped both females back to their feet.

"Uh, we're really sorry—but we're kinda in a hurry," started Biggs tugging on Jessie's arm.

The girl blinked her bright blue eyes once with a smile forming on her face. She could recognize new love when she saw it. "Would you like a flower for your girlfriend? It only costs one Gil."

Jessie blanched at the thought of her and Biggs dating, but Biggs smiled with an encouraging nod. "Sure, why not?" He pulled the money out of his pocket and handed it over to the girl and took an offered flower. With a quick thank you he pulled Jessie along behind him, shoving the flower into her hands.

"You can thank me later," he said.

"Thank you? For what?" snapped Jessie, her voice reaching a dangerous level.

"For the flower."

"Oh no. Don't get your hopes up, Biggs, I want a real man—not you."

"I am a real man!" protested Biggs as they continued down the sidewalk.

"Sure you are." The two partners continued their argument, never noticing the two Turks that passed them by.

Reno drummed his fingers lightly against his thigh, his mind concentrating on the job he had to do. Beside him Rude was the essence of cool, walking down the sidewalks like he owned the city. People took one look at their navy blue suits and scattered like the wind. Whenever the Turks made an appearance in the slums they usually meant business.

"There she is, yo," murmured Reno pointing at a pink figure standing on the corner of the sidewalk.

Rude nodded without speaking. He didn't have to. Reno could read him like a book. The two men continued walking down the sidewalk, towards the girl in pink; towards the girl known as Aeris Gainsborough.

Aeris smiled prettily at an elderly customer, handing the man his flower and taking the offered Gil. She blinked in surprise as the man's eyes widened in fear and took off running down the street at a pace faster than could be expected from such a feeble person. It wasn't until she felt two strong hands seize her arms that Aeris realized what was happening.

"This is really starting to get old," she muttered to herself as she was turned around to face her intended kidnappers. "What you losers want this time?"

"You're needed at Shinra Headquarters, darlin'—at the express request of the President," replied Reno lightly.

Aeris frowned. "I'm not going. The President should get the hint that after thirty three different kidnapping attempts that I don't want to see him."

"It's thirty four, and you don't have much of a choice, doll." Reno tightened his grip on Aeris' arm and turned to lead her down the sidewalk, Rude on her other side, when he felt a hard object hit him squarely on the head. Reno stumbled briefly before toppling to the ground just as Aeris swung her basket of flowers in the air, hitting Rude on the top of the head as well. Rude fell to the ground as well and Aeris took off at a dead run down the sidewalk, leaving the two Turks in a stunned heap.

"Well," started Reno groggily, "I think we got further on that attempt than all the others put together."

"Dame chick had a brick in her basket," grumbled Rude feeling the top of his head gingerly. "We don't get paid enough to go after her anymore. She's getting sneakier. You'd think she took lessons in how to protect herself."

"No shit," agreed Reno. "Tseng's gonna be pissed."

"Yeah, well he can go piss his pants for all I care. I ain't goin' after that girl again without a weapon. I don't give a damn how important she is to Shinra—she's fuckin' dangerous!"

"Here, here."

**Wall Market**

Tifa glanced up from the stove as Reno stumbled through the doorway. Her eyes widened as she rushed to catch him before he fell to the ground. Together the pair stumbled over to the couch. Tifa let Reno down and watched as he collapsed with a loud groan onto the cushions.

"Rough day at the office?" she asked, one eyebrow rising suspiciously.

"Somethin' like that, babe. Be a dear and gimme a beer," replied Reno.

Tifa brought her lips together in a thin line as she retreated back to the kitchen. Reno winced at the noise Tifa made opening and slamming doors and drawers shut. When she returned to the couch however, Reno saw that she didn't have a beer in her hands. She had a washcloth full of ice instead.

"I wanted a beer," whined Reno.

"You can have a beer as soon as you're able to get up on your feet without help," said Tifa sternly. She reached down and pulled Reno's head off the couch, seating herself so that his head could rest in her lap. With a shake of her head Tifa gently placed the ice cloth on the top of Reno's head where a patch of dry blood could be seen from within his hair.

"Thanks," murmured Reno closing his eyes. Tifa didn't say a word, despite the fact that her mind was running with questions. She hated seeing him in pain. She also hated not knowing the specifics of his job. The man Barret had said he was a Turk, but Tifa hadn't been able to figure out exactly what that meant. Whatever it was she was pretty sure it wasn't good. And what scared her the most was how insecure she felt every time Reno went off to work now after checking in on her. Tifa was growing dependent upon the red head…and she didn't know how to handle it.

So for now Tifa opted to keep quiet and not ask any questions. She would wait and see what the future would bring. With any luck it would bring Cloud back into her life…but that brought about a whole new dilemma. What would she do about Reno?

**Junon Harbor**

Sephiroth moved across the docks silently. A fog was rising from the sea, but the silver haired warrior barely noticed it. His Mako filled eyes studied each ship he passed, finally landing on one ready to embark. His face was blank, except for the tightening of his jaw, as he made his way up the ramp and onto the ship.

One of the sailors noticed and called out, "Hey, buddy, you can't be on here without some way to pay for your passage. We don't give out no free rides."

Sephiroth didn't move a muscle as the sailor approached him. The sailor's eyes bulged open as a blade of a sword was jammed into his stomach. The rest of the crew took a few steps back as their comrade coughed up blood, before sliding off the sword and onto the deck.

"I go where I want to go," stated Sephiroth coldly. The ship's captain appeared from his cabin and nodded quickly. Sephiroth seemed satisfied and he drifted towards the bow of the ship without another word. The captain motioned for the crew to get rid of the dead body and set sail. The sooner they reached their destination, the sooner they could be rid of their unwanted passenger.

Sephiroth studied the harbor docks carefully, his mind alert for any traces of his pursuers. The ship began to move away from the docks just as Zack and Cloud appeared out of breath in the fog.

"Dammit!" cursed Zack. "We're too late!"

"We'll have to catch the next one," muttered Cloud. "We better find out when the next ship leaves."

Zack nodded and grabbed a passing sailor by the arm. "Where's that ship headed?" he asked indicating the ship vanishing into the fog.

"Costa Del Sol," answered the sailor. "The next one leaves in another hour if you want to wait."

"Thanks." Zack let the sailor go and turned back to his partner. "Guess that means we can grab a bite to eat and drink while we're waiting."

Cloud agreed and the two swordsmen headed back towards a small bar they had passed running through the fog. The bar was neat and tidy, and full of rowdy sailors. Zack and Cloud took a seat in the back, ordering a couple of beers and some food. As they waited the blonde man took out the sealed letter he had written from his pockets.

"You still haven't sent that thing yet?" groaned Zack.

"Where would I have sent it off from?" retorted Cloud. "Someone told me we weren't making any stops until we caught up with the crazy man."

"Oh sure, blame me. You know, I bet the bartender could send it out for you if you asked him to." Zack chuckled. "You better send it now. Who knows when we'll be in civilization again, huh? Come on, we both know Reno's the man for the job. He'll take care of it for you. 'Sides, doesn't that fucker owe you a couple of favors anyway?"

Cloud didn't answer. Their food arrived and Zack busied himself with eating. Cloud picked at his food, his appetite fleeing every time he glanced at the letter in his hands. Forty minutes passed when Cloud felt Zack nudging him in the arm.

"We gotta catch our ship before it leaves without us," murmured the dark haired man with a small letter. "If you're gonna send that letter you better do it now."

Cloud nodded as he got to his feet. He grabbed his belongings and tossed them over his shoulder, turning in the direction of the bar. With a deep breath Cloud walked up to the wooden counter and waited for the bartender to make his way down to him. Cloud pulled out a pen and scribbled off an address on the envelope just as the bartender arrived.

"What can I do for you?" asked the burly man with a cheerful grin.

"I need you to post this for me," replied Cloud. "I need it to get to Midgar."

"No problem. I'll send it out in the morning with the Tuesday post. It should get to Midgar in a couple of weeks."

"Thanks." Cloud handed the man the letter and turned to follow Zack out of the bar. The two men wandered down the docks until they found the one ship loading up with a couple of passengers. Zack pulled out some Gil as he and Cloud made their way up the ramp. They boarded the ship and made themselves comfortable on the deck, waiting for the ship to take off.

As the anchor was raised and the sails lowered, a single sailor hollered, "Next stop, Costa Del Sol!"

**Shinra Space Program**

**Rocket Launch Site**

"This is it, boys! We're goin' to space!" announced Cid triumphantly. The men around him cheered—every single one of them clean and ready to go. "Let's board this thing and get goin'!"

Cid turned to follow his crew aboard the rocket when he felt a tug on his shirt. Turning, he caught sight of Shera. The mechanic had a concerned look on her face. "I think you should recheck the oxygen tanks, Cid. They've been acting up all week. I don't think they'll hold up in space."

"Aw, Shera, you know we've got the best group of mechanics and engineers workin' on this damn rocket. They're fine," replied Cid rubbing his forehead wearily. He hated the mothering that Shera and most women in general seemed to do all the time. It drove him crazy—he wasn't some kid, he was a certified, specially trained pilot. He knew what he was doing.

Shera's frown deepened and a stubborn look crossed her face. "I really think you should recheck those tanks. I have a bad feeling about it, Cid."

"Shera, if every man stopped what he was doin' just 'cause some goddamn woman had a bad feeling then the fuckin' planet wouldn't be as technologically advanced as it is. The tanks are fine." Cid threw up his hands in the air as Shera turned on her heels and walked away. Women—he really didn't know what to do with them.

Instead the top notch pilot climbed the ramp way to board the rocket. He set to work with the controls. "All right, boys, let's make sure this baby's ready to go."

The crew set to work pressing buttons and consulting small monitors and screens. The countdown began and Cid sat back, ready for the launch. His momentary preparedness was quickly destroyed when a member of his crew spoke up.

"Uh, Captain, we've got a problem. There's a mechanic down with the oxygen tanks. Should we stop the launch?"

"Goddammit!" Cid jumped out of his seat and went to glance at the monitor that the crewman was looking at. Cid cursed again when he saw that the mechanic was none other than Shera.

"What do we do, Captain? If we stop the launch now there's no telling when we'll be able to start it back up—"

Another crewman jumped into the fray. "But if we don't stop that girl's gonna get herself killed!"

Cid groaned. He already knew what he was going to do, but it irked him nonetheless. He wouldn't risk Shera's life for his own dreams of glory. "Stop the count—abort the launch!" he ordered gruffly. The crew nodded and set about turning the rocket back off, aborting their mission. Cid was the first one out of the rocket and down the ramp. He stalked over to the open panel leading to the oxygen tanks where Shera was. He grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her to face him roughly when one of the oxygen tanks began to stream hot air.

"What the hell did you think you were doing defying my orders like that?" demanded Cid angrily. Shera glanced back at the obviously broken tanks and then up at Cid with fear filled eyes.

"I was double checking them! They're faulty equipment—you would have died in space!" whispered Shera hoarsely, tears filling her eyes.

Cid groaned at the tears. "Stop your damn crying, woman! There was nothing wrong with the tanks! Palmer did the last check on all our equipment the last time he was here. He's in charge of this project—he would have said something if there had been any faulty equipment!"

"I'm…I'm sorry." Shera hung her head, sniffling as Cid let her go. He ran a hand through his blonde hair trying to find the right words to say that wouldn't make Shera think he was completely heartless. Just when he had thought he had found a few decent words Scarlet appeared in the doorway.

"I'm leaving," she announced.

"Good," snapped Cid.

Scarlet snorted. "I hope you know that the President will be informed of today's events. You're little space odyssey won't be going anywhere if I have anything to say about it. It's a complete waste of time and money. You just lost your only chance at going into space, Captain. Have a report ready when the President calls you in—you're gonna need all the help you can get."

"Get outta here, you fuckin' whore!" Cid shouted loudly, causing Scarlet to jump back in surprise. The businesswoman narrowed her eyes and turned on her heels, leaving Cid and Shera alone once more.

"I'm so sorry!" sobbed Shera. She burst into more tears and ran past Cid, leaving him with the tanks of streaming air. Cid growled irritably and kicked at the tanks, causing the rest of them to start streaming with hot air as well.

"Fuck!" Cid wasn't sure his day could get any worse.

**A/N—A little shorter than usual, sorry about that. Oh, and forgive my minimal knowledge of rocket ships, I did the best I could. Anyway, I hope this one turned out alright. The next one should be better. **


	11. Faces

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**Shinra Headquarters**

"Your project failed, Palmer. What makes you think Shinra, Inc. will fund it again?" President Shinra turned to glare at the cowering man standing in front of his desk.

The man named Palmer, a short fellow with wisps of brown-grey hair and watery green eyes, flinched under the President's gaze. "Of c-course n-not," he stammered. "I-I don't know w-what I was th-thinking."

"You idiot!" hollered President Shinra slamming his fists down on his desk. "Do you have any idea how much money I wasted on your fucking space project? You guaranteed me that this was a surefire thing—that once that rocket was in the air I'd be a rich man!"

"I-I'm so-sorry," murmured Palmer, cowering even lower, wringing his hands close to his chest.

"Get outta here. I don't want to see your face around here again, you got it?"

"Y-yes s-sir." Palmer bowed low to the ground as he moved backwards towards the door. The President watched him go and snorted as the door closed shut.

Rufus appeared out of the shadows with a sly grin on his face. "You should have cut that man loose a lot sooner than now."

"He was useful for the time being. Dammit. I can't believe that project failed. And after all that money I invested in it too. Huh, who would have guessed that space wasn't for Shinra, Inc.?"

"I hardly think that's the issue here, father," replied Rufus.

The President made a face as he lowered his bulky body into his chair. "Don't be smart with me boy; I don't need this shit from you."

Rufus opened his mouth, a dark look on his face, preparing to snap back at the President when the front doors of the office swung open. Rufus shut his mouth with a satisfied smirk, knowing full well that the intruder had more to say than Rufus did.

"Captain Highwind," drawled out President Shinra, "this is a surprise."

"Cut the crap. I wanna know that the hell your problem is! I fly my ass to Midgar, go over all the rocket ship plans with Palmer, and you decide to pull the funding? What the fuck is your problem, huh?" demanded Cid angrily.

"The space program is over, Highwind. Humans aren't meant to go into space."

"Says who? You? You haven't been off your fat ass in years, old man! What the hell do you know about space?"

"Calm yourself, or you shall find a home in the local jail," warned Shinra sternly.

Cid snorted. "Yeah, go fuck yourself. I'm through with Shinra, Inc. You can go find yourself another pilot to do your dirty work. Goddamn son of a bitch. You're all a bunch of fuckers here, you know that?" With a shake of his head, the blonde pilot turned on his heels and strode out of the office, shutting the door behind him. In the hallway however, Cid came across Rude standing directly in his way.

"What are you looking at, asshole?" snapped Cid irritably. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't see the other man's eyes from behind the sunglasses. Then again, it wasn't like Cid was in a good mood anyway. Anything and everything was bound to piss him off today. Cid narrowed his eyes and reached down to the ground where he had left his trusty spear.

Rude watched carefully as Cid picked up the spear and twirled it around with one hand. The pilot was looking for a fight, and both men knew it.

"Are we gonna dance around all day, or are you actually gonna do somethin'?" challenged the bald Turk menacingly.

Cid grinned. "Oh, I'll do somethin' alright, fuckface."

On nimble feet Cid launched himself at Rude with his spear going into the bald man's gut. Rude doubled over briefly, trying to straighten himself up just as Cid twirled the spear back over his head and cracked it down on the Turk. Rude gritted his teeth in pain and shot a fist into Cid's own gut, causing the pilot to grunt. Cid backed off momentarily before launching himself yet again at the other man, but Rude was already moving. Rude brought up an arm to block another blow from the spear and began pummeling his fists into Cid's stomach. Cid was forced backwards with the momentum until his back was against the wall. Just as Rude brought his arm back for a powerful punch, the gifted pilot ducked so that Rude's fist connected with the wall. Chuckling to himself, Cid rapped his spear across Rude's back, knocking the man head first against the wall; another swap brought Rude to his knees; a third smack knocked the bald Turk face first to the ground.

"Amateur," snorted Cid as he placed his spear across his shoulders casually. With a shake of his head the gruff pilot turned to walk down the hallway and towards the elevators. As he arrived the doors slid open and two figures stepped out. Cid recognized the male as the Turk Reno, but the female he couldn't place.

Tifa flippantly ignored the appreciative once over the man with the spear gave her as she followed Reno down the hallway. She didn't have time to deal with perverts—she was finally getting the chance to see what kind of place Reno worked at. Her eyes widened however when she and Reno came across a groggy Rude pushing himself onto his knees.

"What happened, yo?" demanded Reno making a face. Tifa shot the red head a glare as she dropped to her knees beside Rude. With tender hands she helped the bald Turk sit back against the wall.

"We need some ice," stated Tifa sternly. Reno bit back a groan and turned to go in search of the nearest break room. Turning her attention back to Rude, Tifa asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm alive, aren't I?" replied Rude roughly.

Tifa rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. What the hell happened?"

"Just a little scuffle with a disgruntled employee," said Rude coolly.

"Ex-employee," corrected another male voice. Tifa and Rude both looked up in time to see Rufus stepping out of the President's office. "I'm Rufus Shinra, who might you be?"

"Tifa Lockhart."

"She's here with me," announced Reno appearing from around a corner. He tossed Tifa a bag of ice, which she immediately placed on Rude's forehead.

Rufus seemed amused by the thought. "Is she now? I never thought I'd live to see the day that you would settle down, Reno. That's hardly like you."

"It ain't like that, yo," grumbled Reno sticking his hands in his pockets. His eyes locked onto Rufus' with a mocking stare. Rufus narrowed his eyes and fell silent until he spotted the red lines on Reno's face.

"Aw, so the rumors _are _true. You got yourself tagged. How interesting. Hell must have frozen over—it's a pity I missed it," murmured Rufus.

"Don't worry, Roofie, I saved ya a seat," tossed back Reno nonchalantly.

"I don't like your attitude, Reno. You work for me, remember?"

"Actually," intruded the voice of Tseng, "he works for me."

"If at all," muttered Scarlet as she too appeared in the hallway. She frowned upon seeing Tifa crouching beside Rude with an icepack placed on the Turk's head. "Who the hell is she?"

"A friend of mine," answered Reno starkly. "Her name's Tifa. I was just showing her around the place—'til we found ol' baldy out for the count."

Rude made a face. "Hey—I wasn't completely out. I would've had the fucker if he didn't have a weapon. Damn cheater."

"It's nice to see you boys can always come up with excuses at the drop of the hat," remarked Scarlet wryly. Rude grumbled inaudibly.

Reno shrugged. "Whatever turns you on, babe. Come on Tifa, let's get Rude outta here. Breathing the same air as a slut can't be good for him."

Tifa frowned, but made no reply as she helped Reno aid Rude back onto his feet. Rude stumbled briefly and eventually allowed Reno and Tifa to carry his weight on their shoulders. The trio slowly made their way down the hall with Tifa hissing at Reno for his lack of manners.

As soon as they were out of hearing, Scarlet spoke first. "What the fuck is Reno thinking by bringing some doll to Shinra Headquarters?"

Tseng chuckled dryly. "Why Scarlet, you sound almost jealous."

"She has a point, Tseng," pointed out Rufus. "I don't care how easy on the eyes she is—she has no business here."

"That's where you're wrong," said Tseng. "Reno's grooming Tifa for the Turks. She's a one woman fighting machine. A couple of the slummers learned the hard way not to mess with her—she's Turk material."

"We don't need anymore recruits, Tseng. The Turks are brimming with new faces. Look at all the rookies that just graduated from the academy. This girl will only slow Reno down. We won't get anything done with her around. Besides," argued Scarlet with a sharp flash in her eyes, "what makes you think she can even be trusted?"

"That's my business, Scarlet. Don't trouble your pretty little head over things you have no control over." With a slight grin on his face the Turk leader sauntered back down the hallway, leaving Scarlet fuming.

"I don't like it," she stated darkly.

"You never like anyone prettier than you, Scarlet. It makes you lose focus on your own job because you feel inferior," murmured Rufus with a yawn.

Scarlet's eyes narrowed even more as the vice president made his way down the hallway at a lazy pace. "I am _not _inferior. I'll show them what it takes to make someone into a Turk. Reno won't make a fool out of me," she vowed bitterly.

**Sector 2**

**Em's Clothing Shop**

The blonde teen glanced up from her magazine as the shop door jangled open. Her eyes lighted up at the prospect of a potential customer until the figure made their way up to the counter.

"It's you," stated the blonde glumly.

"Don't sound so pleased," murmured Scarlet smoothly. "I take it business has been bad as usual. I don't know why you insisted on working at this shoddy place, Elena. It isn't going to pay the bills."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Unlike you, I don't have daddy paying my bills for me. Remember, I'm one of the daughters he doesn't claim. I'm the bastard, not you."

Scarlet snorted. "Oh please, don't get prissy with me. It's not my fault my mother comes from high class whereas yours was a common whore."

"What the hell do you want, Scarlet?"

"I figured it was my sisterly obligation to come help you out of this…hellhole."

"Your only my half-sister—and you've never cared before, so why start now?" retorted Elena flipping a strand of blonde hair over her shoulder. Her blue eyes narrowed as Scarlet blinked in mock pain.

"Think of it as an early birthday present."

"Yeah right, you don't even know when my birthday is." Elena shook her head just as the shop door opened with another jangle. Scarlet quickly busied herself at a coat rack as Elena turned her own attention to the customer.

Thirty minutes later Elena finished the transaction and watched the customer disappear out the shop door. With a small sigh, the teen turned her attention back to the red head that was still looking at the coat rack. Elena frowned. "Why the hell did you dye your hair red? It looks like crap."

"Screw you. I didn't come here to talk about my hair," snapped Scarlet.

"You could've fooled me."

"Do you wanna hear my proposition or not?"

Elena shrugged. "Aw what the hell? Lay it on me."

"Over the years I've noticed that you have potential. Nothing compared to me of course…but enough to one day make a name for yourself and a better living than selling clothing day after day," stated Scarlet.

"What are you talking about?"

"I think you can be a Turk."

"A Turk? Are you kidding me? Why the hell would you want me to work with you? Aren't you afraid someone would notice we looked alike? Or are you hoping the red dye will disguise that little detail?" scoffed Elena.

Scarlet tightened her jaw. "Look kid, this is the chance of a lifetime—I'm only going to ask you once, so think hard before you turn me down. The Turks are everything our father told us about. They will protect you, they will provide you with a comfortable living, and most of all they will take you out of the slum life forever. Do you want in, or not?"

**Costa del Sol**

"Nothing," announced Zack darkly. "This whole fucking place is full of nothing. How the hell could no one see a man carrying a big ass sword walk through this shithole?"

"They don't see what they don't want to see," replied Cloud wearily. They had combed through the sunny town to no avail. Sephiroth was long gone—as usual.

"I don't know why we even bother. The man's a walking disease. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll just drop dead somewhere."

"Since when has luck been on our side, Zack?"

"It could happen."

"Right, and I'll sprout wings and fly," snorted Cloud with a shake of his head.

"Pessimist." Zack shook his head as he shifted his bag from one shoulder to the other. Together the two men made their way down the dirt road that led out of town. As they reached the bridge however, they found their path blocked by a group of punks.

"Goin' somewhere?" challenged one of the surly youths. Zack and Cloud exchanged bemused glances before turning their attention back to the punks.

"What of it?" tossed back Zack carelessly.

"You haven't paid the toll yet."

"I didn't know there was one," stated Cloud coldly.

The punk shrugged with a cocky air. "There is now, buddy. So pay up, would ya?"

"Maybe we don't wanna."

Zack nodded in agreement. "Maybe you should pay us, huh? Otherwise I might hafta test out this little guy." From his back he pulled out his sword, pointing it towards the self-proclaimed leader. Cloud did the same without batting an eye.

"Hey now, we don't want any trouble—you know, maybe you guys can get a discount," said the punk feebly as his gang members began to back away from Cloud and Zack.

"Like a free pass?" asked Zack raising an eyebrow.

"Ah sure, why not? You guys look like decent fellows to me. Nicer than the last guy that passed anyway."

"Someone else came this way?" demanded Cloud lowering his sword and taking a menacing step forward.

The punk nodded. "Yeah—the freak had a wild look in his eyes. The second he got off the ship in the harbor we all took cover. He carried a sword with him…and he stunk. Reminded me of burnt wood. I didn't bother askin' him for a toll—I thought he was gonna chop my head off with that sword of his. He probably would have too."

Zack replaced his sword on his back. "At least we're on the right path again."

"Yeah." Cloud made a face as he too put his sword on his back.

On the outskirts of town the two SOLDIERs found a patch of burnt grass, indicating that Sephiroth had indeed been there before them. Cloud crouched beside the glass and fingered it without really seeing it. His mind was flashing back to another time three years ago to fire and blood.

Cloud snapped himself out of his reverie in time to hear Zack remark, "Looks like ol' crazy decided to leave us a little trail. What do you think he's up to?"

Cloud studied the trail of burnt grass leading out into the open land. "I dunno, but whatever it is you can be sure it's part of some grander plan of his."

"Then let's go see what he wants."

**Sector 7**

"When the hell are you guys gonna name this place?" demanded Rude from his perch on a barstool.

Tifa shrugged. "Whenever Reno comes up with something halfway decent."

"Hey, I thought you liked the name_ Love Temple_," argued Reno.

"About as much as I like perverts," replied Tifa leaning her arms on the counter.

Reno snorted. "Alright, love, I'll work on a better name. We've gotta open this place soon or else I'm gonna go outta business before I even start."

Rude shook his head. "You're crazy lettin' her run this place for you. She don't even know how to mix drinks yet."

"Hmm, you've got a point, mate. Alright, Tifa, I'm gonna teach you the fine art of mixing alcoholic beverages," announced Reno. The red head opened the swing top countertop to make his way behind the bar. "We've got everything we need already—so it shouldn't be that hard."

"Aw fuck it," grumbled Rude. "I'm outta here. I don't want to spend the rest of the night watching her screw up perfectly good drinks. I'll catch you guys later."

"I think you're growing on him," remarked Reno as he and Tifa watched Rude vanish through the doorway of the bar.

"That's nice," replied Tifa dryly. "Now let's get this over with. I'm dead tired, and I sure as hell don't want to be here all night long learning how to mix drinks. Why couldn't you open up a restaurant instead? I'm ten times better at cooking anyway."

"And while we're at it why don't we open up a martial arts studio as well? You're good at kicking ass too."

"Are you being a smart ass with me?"

Reno raised an eyebrow with a tiny smirk on his face. "Now what in the world would make you think that, darlin'?"

"Keep it up and I'll kick your ass."

"Whatever you say. Now, on to more pressing matters. This is rum…this is whiskey…this is vodka…this is…"

Almost three hours later Reno was sipping another concoction of Tifa's. It seemed she had a natural knack for mixing drinks—something that had impressed Reno more than her cooking.

"You know, love, if I were a better man I'd marry you right now. You're a goddess in the kitchen, did you know that? Incredible meals and the best damn drinks I've ever tasted. I'm fairly sure I can find some type of priest if you want," murmured Reno with a slight slur. The drinks were finally getting to him.

Tifa shook her head with an amused smile on her lips. "It wouldn't work between you and me, Reno. I'm—"

"I know, I know—you're in love with some SOLDIER boy. I'm working on that one, darlin'. But you know if I can't find him you are more than welcome to marry me. I bet the sex would be great."

"Reno, you're drunk. I think it's time we headed back to the apartment," stated Tifa. She gently nudged the red head off his barstool and began to usher him towards the bar door.

Reno chuckled. "No, the sex would be fantastic. But I can wait, love. I'm a changed fellow with you around."

"There won't be any sex, Reno. That's not how things work. You don't just sleep with someone or marry them just because they can cook. There has to be love involved," said Tifa as Reno slung an arm around her shoulders. She quickly shut the bar door behind her and the pair started off down the dirt road.

"Oh, I think I'm already in love with you, Tifa."

"And I think that's the alcohol talking."

"How about dinner tomorrow night? I'm sober enough to ask you that. If you want to do things right…let's do dinner. Then we can take it from there," murmured Reno.

Tifa was silent for a few brief moments. "Alright, dinner—but that's it."

"That's all I want."

**Sector 5**

Aeris shot up in her bed in a cold sweat. She took several deep breaths as she tried to calm her racing heart. She had had the same dream again. The dream where fire raged out of control everywhere she looked…and then a face appeared. A face of a man with silver hair; a face of a man she didn't know.

Shivering, Aeris made her way out of bed and quickly dressed. She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep—not after that dream. As soon as she was dressed, Aeris silently opened her bedroom door and slunk into the hallway. On tiptoes she mad her way downstairs and out the front door of the house. Aeris breathed in relief as she gently closed the front door behind her. There was only one place she could find comfort from such a dream.

The church was eerily quiet as Aeris entered. Aeris studied the abandoned shrine and soon spotted another figure inside. With a small grin Aeris made her way over to a pew and took a seat behind the blonde teen.

Elena glanced up and grinned when she saw Aeris. "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while," murmured the blonde softly.

Aeris shrugged, and answered in a quiet voice. "I haven't had much of a reason to come lately. But tonight I had that dream again."

"The one where you see Zack dying on the side of a road?"

"No…the one with all the fire."

"I thought that one had stopped for good," remarked Elena.

"I thought so too, but apparently I was wrong. Everything feels so off in life. I can feel something coming—something big and dark. I just wish I knew what it was. I worry about Zack every day…but I think I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll never see him again. I just _know _he won't be coming home this time."

"Is that the big dark thing that you feel is coming?"

Aeris shook her head. "No, there's something else going on…something I can't quite put my finger on. I don't know what to do anymore, Elena."

"I know…it's scary not knowing what lies ahead. But we aren't fortunetellers. We just have to ride the tide, so to speak. Man, I sound like my father now," groaned Elena.

"How's your life going? It's been ages since we last talked."

Elena sighed. "My sister showed up at the shop today."

"Which one?"

"Scarlet. She wants me to work with her—she wants me to join the Turks. I think it's because one of the guys she works with is training some martial artist to join. Everyone in the slums has been talking about her."

"Scarlet?"

"No, the martial artist. She came on a bus and scared off some thugs by kicking their asses. Scarlet's spooked by it—if the rumors are true about the martial artist then Scarlet is gonna lose her high position with the Turks."

"Are you going to join?" asked Aeris.

"I don't know. I mean, the Turks have been after you for years…and we're friends, Aeris. But, I can't be a shop clerk forever. The pay really sucks. I just wish that I wasn't so desperate for cash again. But ever since Meg joined the Turks I've been on my own."

"Then you should join. I can take care of myself, Elena. You know that. It's become something of a game between me and the Turks now. They show up every few weeks and I take off. You need the money…we'll still be friends in the end."

"How can you always sound so optimistic about stuff?" questioned Elena quizzically. "It seems like no matter how bad things get you can always look at the bright side."

Aeris shrugged. "It's simple really. I'm at peace with myself…I'm at peace with my way of life. I know that there's something great waiting for me in the future. Some type of great destiny…besides, there's always a bright side to life. Not everything is as dark and evil as the dreams I have. And that's all they are anyway. They're just dreams."

**A/N—I know, it's been a while…but I haven't felt like writing much lately. But now I've seem to have been inspired, so updates should be back to their normal weekly basis (I hope). Anyway, Yuffie will be appearing in the next chapter…**


	12. On Edge

**Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.**

**Wall Market**

Reno rubbed his face wearily as he made his way to the front door of the apartment. His head was pounding, as well as the door, and he was vowing never to sleep on the couch again. He could hear the shower going in the bathroom adjoining what was once his bedroom. It seemed Tifa was up.

"What the hell d'ya want?" growled the red headed man as he pulled the door open. His eyes narrowed at seeing a small boy holding up a letter. Reno snatched the letter out of the kid's hands and shut the door in the boy's face.

With a yawn Reno made his way back to the couch and sat down, tearing open the letter. Two pieces of paper fell out. Reno picked up the smaller piece and unfolded it. As his eyes scanned the scant amount of words on the page, he could feel the world around him spinning. This was a note from Cloud asking Reno to find Tifa for him and deliver a letter to her.

"Fuck me." Reno glanced over at the bedroom door, which was still closed, but he could no longer hear the shower running. Gulping, Reno shoved the letter back into its envelope as he got back onto his feet.

"Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me." Reno continued his ranting as he looked around his apartment wildly. He couldn't give Tifa the letter…then she wouldn't join the Turks…and she wouldn't give him a chance. No, Reno had to hide the letter until he could decide what to do with it…or give it to Tifa the moment Cloud was dead. One last glance at the bedroom door hurried Reno over to his desk. He pulled open the top drawer and reached in the far back to pull up the hidden compartment. Reno stuffed the letter inside the compartment, shutting it and the drawer just as Tifa stepped out of the bedroom.

"Aw, so you're alive this morning I see. I was afraid you were gonna die in your sleep with all that alcohol you drank last night," teased Tifa as she made her way into the kitchen.

Reno chuckled nervously, casting one last glance at his desk. "Nope, you can't get rid of me that easily, love. 'Sides, I seem to remember you promising you would have dinner with me tonight."

"I might have." Tifa nodded with a small smile on her face as she went about making eggs for breakfast.

"Gee, don't sound so excited on my account."

"Says the man who rambled on about sex the entire walk home."

"Did I now? Huh, I thought I had dreamed up that part," murmured Reno furrowing his eyebrows. Tifa simply rolled her eyes.

**Shinra Headquarters**

"Okay, now hold your arm up…no, like this…dammit, girl, can't you do anything right?"

"I'm trying! You suck as a teacher!"

Scarlet snorted. "Oh please, I've been a Turk longer than you've even thought about it. Now hold your arm up—Elena, you're supposed to be blocking a blow from the enemy—not hiding your fucking face!"

Elena scowled as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You know, Scarlet, I don't think I've ever seen you kick someone's ass in all the time I've known you. Every time I see you you're pulling out a fuckin' gun!"

Clapping from the doorway made both females glance up from the sparring mat. Tseng chuckled as he entered the room. "Scarlet, Scarlet, Scarlet, have you finally decided to take up recruiting children to join the Turks? How quaint. Perhaps next you'll be adopting orphans off the street to do your dirty work."

"Fuck off, Tseng. I'm teaching Elena to be a Turk."

Tseng smiled. "I guess the idea of Reno bringing his girl into our ranks bothers you more than you've cared to admit."

"You only want me to join the Turks 'cause you don't like someone else who's joining?" demanded Elena stomping her foot on the mat. "That is so typical of you, Scarlet."

"Oh go screw yourself. Do you want to return to selling clothes to three people a month or do you want to make a real living?" shot back Scarlet sharply. The red head turned to Tseng. "And this has nothing to do with Reno's little slut."

"Of course not," soothed Tseng slipping out of his shoes and stepping onto the mat. "Now step aside and let me show you how a real teacher works. Elena, is it? Alright, now put your arms up in front of you like this, and ball your hands into fists, like this. Okay, now place one foot in front of the other…now move it apart. You have to feel the balance in your own body. If your legs do not hold up the rest of your body in a balanced manner then the enemy will easily knock you down. Good. Now…"

The sparring lasted little more than an hour. Elena was breathing heavily as she plopped herself down onto the mat, her blonde hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. "Thanks," she said simply, glancing up at Tseng who was putting his shoes back on.

Tseng nodded shortly before glancing over at Scarlet. "And that, my dear, is how it is done. If you want Elena to be a Turk, do us all a favor, leave the teaching to someone else." With a wink at Elena, the dark haired man strode out of the sparring room.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" grumbled Scarlet making a face.

Elena rolled her eyes. "A pro…admit it, Scarlet, you've never lifted a fist in your life. If I'm gonna be a Turk like you promised, then I want a new teacher. I ain't gonna learn shit with you around."

Scarlet sniffed in disdain as she too strode out of the room, leaving Elena behind. The blonde girl sighed in relief as she plopped down on her back, a giggle escaping her lips as she thought back to the dark haired man known as Tseng.

**Sector 4**

Tifa glanced around the restaurant warily as she and Reno took their seats. She felt out of place in her khaki skirt and shirt. Everyone else seemed a little more dressed up than her, but Reno didn't seem to mind. Of course, it didn't help that he was always dressed in his blue Turks uniform.

Shaking her head to clear her mind Tifa glanced down at the menu in front of her, studying its contents carefully. She fidgeted as she took note of the prices, her eyes darting over to Reno, but he seemed engrossed in his own menu. With a tiny sigh Tifa looked down at her menu, finally deciding on something not so pricy, but still delectable. She smiled at the waiter and gave her order and waited for Reno to do the same. As soon as the waiter was gone however, the couple lapsed into an awkward silence.

"So," started Reno, "I really don't know what to say considering we've been working on the bar together, and you're staying at my place still."

Tifa grinned. "No kidding. Why don't you tell me about your job?"

"You know I can't do that, love. Remember what Tseng said about jeopardizing your livelihood?"

"I live with you, remember? One of these days someone might break in and 'jeopardize my livelihood'," pointed out Tifa.

"And then you'll kick their ass." Reno chuckled at the sour look on Tifa's face. "If that ever happens, darlin', I promise I'll finally tell ya all about my lovely job. But until then, I guess we'll have to wait, won't we? And speaking of waiting…does this mean you're plannin' on stickin' around Midgar for a while? Not that I mind…its kinda nice havin' a personal cook around."

"Don't get too excited, Reno. I'm gonna move into the bar as soon as we finish fixing it up."

"And here I thought you were plannin' on taking root and making me married man."

"That seems highly unlikely," murmured Tifa bringing her glass of water to her lips. Reno shrugged nonchalantly and probably would have continued his line of reasoning had a shadow not fallen onto their table.

Tifa and Reno both glanced up in time to see Rufus and a large, round man looking down at them.

Rufus spoke first. "What a surprise to find the two of you here. May we join you?" The vice president didn't bother waiting for a reply as he pulled out a chair and motioned for his companion to sit before going around and sitting on the other side of the table.

"What are you doing?" asked Reno through clenched teeth.

Rufus ignored him. "May I introduce to you Lord Godo of Wutai? Lord Godo, this is Reno of the Turks, and the lovely Tifa Lockheart."

Lord Godo inclined his head in greeting, but didn't say a word. His tiny eyes glinted with hidden secrets. Tifa smiled wanly at the Wutai dignitary as Reno openly scowled at Rufus.

Almost three hours later Reno and Tifa were saying good-bye to Rufus and Lord Godo. Tifa watched as the two men got into a black car and drove off before turning to glance at Reno who still had a dark look on his face. "Well…that was…interesting."

"Interesting? Love, Rufus ruined our dinner," replied Reno dryly.

"That's not my fault. They just came and sat down. I didn't see you telling them to get lost."

"Darlin', in case you haven't noticed let, let me open your eyes to a little thing I like to call the truth. Rufus has the hots for ya. That's the only reason he subjected Lord Fatty to sit with us tonight."

Tifa snorted. "Oh please, why the hell would someone like Rufus go for someone like me? I fit in with the slums—not the upper class. So don't get pissed at me 'cause the guy wanted to ruin our dinner. It's not that big of a deal…we can have dinner together another time."

"Another time?" repeated Reno with a nod of his head. "Of course, what was I thinking? Why not, it's not as though Rufus would be stupid enough to follow us around to every restaurant in Midgar. You know what I don't get it why you had to encourage him this evening. Laughing at all his jokes, which weren't funny by the way, and talking about Midgar's interests…love, if I didn't know better I'd say you were trying to make good with Rufus to get an upper hand in the political world here."

"Oh yes, that is _exactly _what I was doing. Dammit, Reno, I was just trying to be polite. He's the fucking vice president after all! What did you want me to do, ignore him? Do you even know who Lord Godo is? I'm not stupid—I've heard about the Wutai Civil War—I'm not about to get on their bad sides just so I can humor you and piss off Rufus."

"Oh fuck you!" Reno shook his head and pushed past Tifa to walk down the sidewalk.

"Where are you going?" demanded Tifa angrily.

"Like you care?" shot back Reno sharply. Tifa gritted her teeth together and turned to walk in the opposite direction. She needed to take a walk.

**Sector 5**

Tifa's eyes studied the outside of the church, taking in everything about its run down condition. She silently walked inside, breathing in relief at the calm atmosphere that hit her. Her head was still whirling with the argument she had had with Reno. It had been a stupid one at that. She still wasn't quite sure what Reno's point had been in his tirade, but it still hurt that he was angry with her.

Taking a seat in the front pew Tifa glanced down at the flower bed, smiling as the moonlight made the flowers glow brightly. Everything felt wrong in her life these days. Try as she might, Tifa still couldn't remember her past. All she could remember was Cloud…and every time she thought of him she felt like crying.

She was so worried about him. She hadn't heard from him since the last letter she had sent. Tifa was afraid that she would never hear from him again…that she would be alone forever. Of course, Tifa wasn't really alone. She had Reno…and Rude if she really thought about it…but she wasn't sure where to place them in her lives. Sure she considered them both friends, but things with Reno were getting more complicated by the day.

Tifa was falling for the Turk, and she really didn't know anything about him. His job was a secret to her, and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out what it was he did for a living besides handle Shinra security. Barret had made it sound as though being a Turk was bad…and Tifa was mixed on that feeling. Part of her was queasy when it came to discussing Shinra and the Turks, while the other part of her was curious.

"Why can't things be easy? It used to be so simple once upon a time," murmured Tifa, still looking at the flowers. "I wish things could go back to the way they used to be."

_I wish I knew where Cloud was…and I wish I could figure out what to do with Reno. Why does life have to bite you in the ass when you least need it?_

Sighing, Tifa got to her feet. It was growing later. She needed to return to the apartment in case Reno decided to return drunk off his ass again. As she turned to walk back down the aisle, however, a soft sound like that of a foot thud on wood alerted her senses.

"Who's there?" called out Tifa rolling her hands into fists. Her eyes narrowed as a lithe figure stepped out of the shadows. The figure was a girl, no more than maybe thirteen. She had shoulder length black hair and dark eyes. She wore tan shorts, a sleeveless green shirt down to her midriff with a black vest down to her waist over it, and tan boots up to her ankles. Around the girl's head was a ninja bandana.

"Peace, my sister, may the Holy bless you and your materia," said the girl clasping her hands together and bowing low to Tifa.

Tifa opened her lips to speak, not trusting the younger girl's jovial manner when the girl pulled out a knife, throwing it in Tifa's direction.

"Sweetie, you just made a big mistake," murmured Tifa as she ducked low. Behind her she could hear the knife lodging itself into the wall of the church. With a small cry Tifa launched herself at the small girl, knocking her to the ground with a sweep of her feet. Tifa pressed a foot down on the girl's neck, watching the younger girl glare at her.

"I'm already pissed off this evening…don't make me take it all out on you, okay? Now go get your knife and get the hell outta here." Tifa took her foot off the girl's neck and headed out of the church.

"Yeah…well I bet your materia sucked anyway!" shouted the girl scrambling to her feet. She stomped her foot and looked back up at the wall where her knife was still stuck. With a pout she walked over to the wall and grabbed its hilt. With a grunt she tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't budge.

"Aw man, don't do this to me now," she groaned grabbing the hilt with both hands and placing both feet on the wall. Taking a deep breath the girl pulled with all her might, and promptly fell to the ground, knife in hand.

"Good one, Yuffie. You're definitely ninja material," muttered the girl in a sarcastic manner. She flipped over onto her feet, replacing her knife on the strap around her thigh when she noticed a figure slipping out of the church. Yuffie jogged over to the church entrance and peeked out in time to see a red headed Turk call out after the dark haired girl that had knocked Yuffie to the ground.

"Tifa! Wait up!"

Tifa paused and turned to see Reno headed her way. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, ready to blast him for being a jerk earlier, when he brought a single rose out for her to see. "What's this?" she asked.

"This is me apologizing for earlier. I was out of line. I'm sorry…I just don't trust Rufus…and I _really _hate the way he looks at you. It may not seem like he's after you, but I know the man…he won't rest until he gets you in bed with him," answered Reno softly.

"Reno, I'm not like that. If I was, don't you think I would have already slept with you by now?" returned Tifa as she took the offered rose.

"Yeah…I know. I just…it's like…well you see…aw forget it. You're still hung up on whatshisface. It doesn't matter."

Tifa lowered her gaze to the ground, knowing full well what Reno was trying to tell her about his feelings. Placing a small smile on her lips she gave the Turk a soft kiss on the cheek. "Maybe someday we'll figure all this out," she whispered. "Now why don't we head home?"

Reno nodded and offered Tifa his arm. Tifa took it and together the pair began to walk down the sidewalk, away from the church.

"Yech," muttered Yuffie making a face. "That was gross…people in love are so gross." With a disgusted shudder, Yuffie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tore off the bandana from around her forehead. It wouldn't do to have her dad see it on her. With a loud yawn she too began to walk down the sidewalk.

**Somewhere Outside Costa del Sol**

Cloud grumbled as he followed along behind Zack. They had been wandering around after the burnt grass for hours now, and Cloud was tired of it. No matter how long or how fast they traveled they still couldn't seem to catch up with Sephiroth.

"Goddammit, Zack, let's stop for the day—we ain't gonna catch him today. We can always try again tomorrow!"

Zack snorted. "Grow up, Strife, we're gonna catch that son of a bitch if it's the last thing we do."

"At the expense of our lives? Zack, we've been wandering around for hours on no food…no sleep…hell, we don't even know if we're headed in the right direction. For all we know Sephiroth is miles in the other direction!" shot back Cloud.

"Then how the hell d'ya explain the burnt grass?"

"A decoy? How the hell should I know? I just think we're wasting our time trying to keep up with the guy—he's the best damn SOLDIER in history—we don't even come close."

Zack stopped in his tracks, swirling around to face his best friend. "Oh, so you sayin' I'm not good enough to catch the mighty Sephiroth?"

"I'm sayin' you're doing a dumb ass job at the moment. Running after him without thinking everything through is gonna get ya a one way ticket to a grave, stupid!" snarled Cloud. "Sephiroth won't slow his pace no matter how hard we run after him. The guy has better stamina then either of us put together. I say we take it easy and don't go runnin' after him like a couple of idiots, you know what I mean?"

"You goin' soft, Cloud? 'Cause that's what it sounds like to me…it sounds like you don't wanna catch Sephiroth. And here I thought you wanted the man to pay for what happened in your hometown. Hurting your girl—killing all your friends and family…I guess I had it wrong. You're nothin' but a coward."

"Don't call me that!" Cloud growled angrily. He pushed Zack only to be pushed right back man. Within seconds the two men were wrestling on the ground, throwing punches left and right. Then a soft breeze blew by, clearing the heads of both Zack and Cloud. They quickly pulled apart and stared at each other, both breathing heavily at the exertion they had built up in their tussle.

"What the hell just happened?" asked Zack.

Cloud shook his head. "I don't know…but I wasn't thinking straight, were you?"

"No," said Zack shaking his head as well. "I don't get it. Why would we turn on each other?"

"I don't know…I mean, sure I'm tired…and pissed—but at Sephiroth, not you. I don't…I don't know. Do you think we're going crazy?"

"We can't be…that's Sephiroth's job, not ours. But…oh shit, you know what it might be? We haven't had a Mako injection in a while…I always get a little antsy around that time. Our bodies are so used to that shit goin' in us that they're probably feeling a little fucked up without the extra juice."

"Maybe," agreed Cloud slowly, "but what do we do about it?"

"I don't know. I don't think there's anything we _can_ do. That was what Hojo was for," replied Zack with a sigh.

"Then how are we gonna track down Sephiroth without killing each other?"

Cloud's question hung in the air, a dark cloud over both men as neither could come up with an answer. It seemed the road ahead would be both dangerous and unsure.

**A/N—Oh lordy…I bet y'all thought I had forgotten this story by now. I haven't, but I've been so busy it ain't even funny. Summer is coming and I'm trying to get in as many chapters as possible before I head home for summer. Lucky for me I finally saw Advent Children and totally feel inspired once more. Man, ya gotta love Reno and Rude in that movie. Anyhoo, I hope to get a few more chapters out before I head home. Thanks for sticking with me and waiting ever so patiently.**


	13. A Downhill Slope

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me. That much should be obvious by now.**

**Shinra Headquarters**

Hojo shuffled down the steps into one of the sub-basements of Shinra Inc. He glanced around carefully before punching in the access code to a metal door. It slid open and Hojo quickly slipped inside, waiting for the door to close shut behind him as he made his way further into the secret lab.

The old scientist came to stand before three stasis tubes, his hands folded behind his back as he studied the tubes carefully. Perfect specimens…the future of SOLDIER if all went according to plan. Unfortunately, Sephiroth was destroying many of Hojo's plans.

"If only he had kept his nose where it belonged," murmured Hojo to himself. "Sephiroth had no right to discover what he was…now Shinra will not cooperate…and my experiments will be tossed into the trash."

Cursing his luck Hojo turned his back on the stasis tubes, his hands clenched tightly together as he shuffled back towards the doorway. "But the death of Sephiroth is not the end of my plans. His blood is still useful…his clones will be even better. One day, my dear boys, you will walk the face of the planet."

Hojo turned to look back at the three stasis tubes where three young boys with silver hair were attached to tubes and fast asleep. "Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz…you will awaken to a post-Sephiroth world, and I will be awarded for my genius." With a dark chuckle Hojo opened the door of the lab and stepped out, waiting until it had shut again before heading up the stairs back to the main part of Shinra Inc.

**In The Air**

"Did we _hafta _take a plane home?" whined Yuffie clutching her stomach from her seat. Lord Godo ignored the young girl's complaint. He was fully engrossed in a conversation with Reeve, the man who had offered to give them a lift to Wutai in his personal jet. Yuffie didn't trust the man. No one liked to visit Wutai these days…but her father had seemed eager to leave Midgar behind as soon as possible and return home to his people.

"I'm gonna die…I'm gonna die on a plane. I didn't even get any good materia from Midgar and I'm gonna die," muttered Yuffie to herself. Her face was green as she curled up in her seat. "As soon as we land I'm gonna look up the dumbass who created planes and hunt him down!"

**Rocket Town**

Cid was grumbling as he stepped off his one person plane. On the ground he could see his mechanics drawing near to see what he had to say. Cid wasn't sure what to say to them. Shinra, Inc. had pulled the plug. There was never going to be a rocket launched into space.

"Um, alright guys, here's the deal. Shinra decided to uh, pull our plug. Those assholes don't want us goin' to space. They're a bunch of lame ass pansies if you ask me. So our jobs are done. I quit. I ain't gonna be no Shinra puppet—y'all are free to do whatever the hell ya want. But me, I'm gonna stick around here and relax 'till Shinra crumbles and comes crawling back to me, begging for a second chance." Cid grinned, his cigarette hanging in his mouth precariously. He could tell by the looks in their eyes that none of his mechanics were going anywhere.

On the edge of the crowd Shera let out a small sigh before heading back to her tent. If Cid wanted to stick around she would stay too…but this wasn't exactly her first pick for setting up house or camp—or whatever this place was. Some of the mechanics had taken to calling it Rocket Town, which was fitting, but not something Shera could see settling in permanently. Of course, it wasn't like Cid was going to want to take any of her suggestions into consideration. He was probably still mad at her for screwing up his mission.

Cid had seen Shera vanishing back into the tent. Taking a deep breath the pilot began to make his way in that direction, shaking hands and joking with mechanics along the way. He waved them off and entered the tent, rolling his eyes at seeing Shera making lunch.

"So, uh, didja hear the news?" asked Cid semi-casually. Shera nodded without looking up at him. Cid continued on. "Um, you're free to leave if ya want…if not I can get some of the guys to you know, build ya a house."

Shera glanced up with a frown. "A house?" she repeated dully.

"Yeah, you know, a place with four walls and a roof? I figure that uh, you know, I, uh, owe ya one. For the uh, oxy tanks…they're a bunch of shit now."

"A house." Shera looked thoughtful as she glanced back down at the sandwich she had been making. "I'd like that."

"Good, 'cause uh, it ain't right for ya to be stayin' out in a tent with all these hooligans 'round. Somethin' could, you know, happen," murmured Cid nodding his head as he puffed away on his cigarette. He felt awkward talking to Shera, he never knew if he was saying the right thing or not. Half the time he thought he was making a complete idiot of himself.

"I see. Well, thank you. A house would be nice. I need a quiet place to live now." Shera glanced up at Cid and offered him a tiny smile before turning back to the sandwich in front of her. "Oh, and by the way, if you smoke in here again you'll be making your own meals."

Cid blinked in surprise before tossing his cigarette on the ground and stepping on it. "Right, so uh, I'm glad we got everything…taken care of. Keep up the good work."

Shera watched in amusement as Cid practically ran out of the tent. Things were changing all right…and she hoped it would all be for the better.

**Wutai**

Yuffie was the first one off the plane after it landed on the ground. She ran straight towards a bush and relieved the contents of her stomach, glaring at Reeve when he asked if she was okay.

Reeve quickly took the hint and went back to say farewell to Lord Godo. Surprisingly the two men had gotten along very well during the flight. Reeve figured it had something to do with the fact that his department wasn't after Wutai land…a fact brought about by the fact that any Shinra employees who set foot in Wutai either went missing or returned to the hospital after a savage attack by ninjas.

"You are welcome to visit any time, my new friend," said Lord Godo clapping Reeve on the back and nearly knocking him down.

"And you are always welcome in Midgar," replied Reeve rubbing his shoulder gingerly.

Yuffie snorted. "Like we wanna go back there? Pssh, if we do we are _not _taking a plane. I'd rather walk than take a stupid plane."

Both Reeve and Lord Godo ignored the young girl, instead opting to discuss tourism briefly before Reeve took off again. Yuffie glared at Reeve, all the while mumbling under her breath. "There wasn't any good materia worth taking on the damn plane. Ooo, I'm gonna make Mr. Reeve Know-it-all pay one day!"

Finally, after twenty more minutes of talking Reeve was able to board his plane once more. He took his seat and called out to the captain. "The Golden Saucer please. I have business to take care of."

**Wall Market**

Tifa was mildly surprised to walk through the apartment door and find Reno sitting on the couch, staring off into space broodingly. He was never home this time of day. She deposited her groceries on the counter before heading over to the couch. Reno hadn't seemed to notice her yet.

"Tifa, I've gotta tell ya somethin', love," murmured Reno the moment Tifa took a seat beside him.

"Okay, what?"

"I'm a Turk."

Tifa blinked in surprise and then rolled her eyes. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

"We're like guns for hire. Shinra uses us to get rid of anyone and everyone standing in their way. We do Shinra's dirty work," replied Reno softly. He still hadn't looked at Tifa, half afraid to see what she thought about his line of work.

"You're like assassins," said Tifa softly. She sat back in the cushions, her mind dwelling on what Reno was saying.

"I took the job 'cause I didn't have nothin' else goin' for me. I was an orphan on the street—always gettin' in trouble. The old leader of the Turks, Veld—he took me in and trained me. The Turks are all I know, darlin'. They're all I have. Then you came along and now I'm startin' to wonder if getting myself tagged was the thing to do, you know? 'Cause you, you don't take shit from no one, and you don't answer to anyone but yourself. You've got a decent past, and me, I got nothin'."

Sighing, Tifa sat forward on the couch and reached out to take one of Reno's hands in hers. "I don't remember my past," she said. "I just remember Cloud…and even those parts are hazy. Sometimes you've got to accept who you are and what you're doing in life because it's all you have. Me, I haven't found my place in the world yet. I'm still looking. Remember, I'm only eighteen…I have a ways to go before I decide to settle down permanently."

Reno nodded, squeezing Tifa's hand. "I'm glad you're here though. It's nice havin' ya around, love."

"I'm glad I'm here too." Tifa didn't want to say anything more on the matter; afraid that if she let Reno see that she was falling for him she would never get closure with Cloud. Instead she opted for another turn of their conversation. "So what made you decide to finally tell me what your job was about?"

"Just a bad day…I had to help threaten one of the local politicians thinking about running against Shinra in the next elections. The guy's now sittin' in a local hospital—I don't know if he's gonna make it."

Tifa nodded silently reaching over to pull Reno in her arms for a hug. Neither said a word, just soaking in the comfort of the other's arms.

**Golden Saucer**

"It's an intriguing offer, Reeve. What makes you think I'll agree to it?" asked the man in front of Reeve. He was a well built man with balding hair and dark eyes. He was known as Dio.

"Just go with it, would you? I thought you wanted to be rid of Shinra as much as I did," remarked Reeve with a sour look on his face.

"I did…I just didn't think that would require lettin' you operate a spy ring in my place. What the hell makes you think you'll be able to keep track of everyone? The Golden Saucer is the most popular tourist attraction on the planet."

"Trust me, no one will know I'm spying…and I'll only be keeping track of those who are of use to me. You worry too much, Dio."

"And you don't worry enough, Reeve. This is Shinra we're talkin' about. It would take a meteor to get rid of those sons of bitches."

"Maybe one day we'll get lucky. I'll call you when I have my spy in place. Don't do anything to piss off Shinra between now and then, got it?" Reeve raised an eyebrow at Dio to show he was being serious.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll keep my hands to myself…but don't go ruinin' the reputation of the Saucer or I'll kick your ass," warned Dio darkly.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

**Wandering the Planet**

Cloud watched Zack out of the corner of his eye. The dark haired SOLDIER seemed to be doing the same thing to him. As the minutes went by the pair were finding it harder and harder to trust each other. By now they were both craving another injection of Mako…Cloud was ready to kill the next person he saw if he didn't find any Mako soon. His body felt as though it were going to shut down without it.

Mako. It was like a drug…a beautiful, blessed drug…and Cloud needed more of it. Of course, so did Zack and that naturally made the two men enemies once more. Cloud wouldn't let Zack get any more of the Mako…if there was any more to be had outside of Midgar.

They walked in silence, neither saying a word to the other. Words meant nothing to them anymore. The silence was a relief. Only hours earlier they had sighted a small village, only to destroy it after Zack bumped into Cloud, resulting in a push and shove match that quickly escalated to a sword fight. Now when they passed people there was a look in their eyes that made the innocent flee as fast as they could.

Rumors were starting to make Cloud and Zack out to be just like Sephiroth and now people weren't willing to talk to them, let alone look at them in case they found themselves at the opposite end of the large swords that both SOLDIERs carried.

As they continued their silent trek, Cloud found himself trying to recall a face. It belonged to a girl…but he couldn't see to remember anything about her. Did she have long hair, or was it short? What color were her eyes? Why was he thinking about her?

Cloud stopped in his tracks as realization hit him. Tifa. He was trying to remember Tifa. Since when did it become hard to remember the girl he had dreamt about since he was a kid?

Zack noticed Cloud wasn't moving and paused to turn and look back at him. "What's wrong?" he asked flatly.

"I can't remember Tifa anymore," replied Cloud softly with a bewildered look on his face. "I can't remember what she looks like, or how she laughs. It's just a name. Zack, what's happening to me?"

"I…I don't know," murmured Zack as he began to remember who Tifa was as well. She was the girl Cloud liked. Didn't Zack have a girl like that? The dark haired man became silent as he struggled to remember his own girl. Aeris, that's what her name was. Aeris. "Whatever it is…I think it's happening to me too."

Both Cloud and Zack locked eyes briefly before slowly beginning to walk onwards. Everything was going downhill—their very lives were being forgotten the longer they went without Mako. They were truly addicted to something they didn't even want to be a part of.

**A/N—Another chapter up…yay. Not sure if I like how it turned out, but oh well, there were some important parts in here. Anyhoo, working on the next one too. Hopefully it'll be up later this week.**


	14. Rumbles

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

**Sector 4**

Biggs blinked open his eyes, taking in the dingy gray walls around him. He didn't recognize anything about them. Groaning, he sat up in the bed, flinching as the creaking of the mattress springs irritated his aching head. He yawned and scratched his chest, glancing back down at the bed. Upon seeing Jessie still curled up beneath the flimsy covers. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was naked beneath those covers.

With a sigh Biggs got up and dressed himself before returning to the bed to wake Jessie up. "Hey, wakey, wakey. Come on, Jess, ya need to get up before someone—" His next words were drowned out as the door to the room burst open. Jessie shot up in bed, her eyes wide open, her hand reaching around for her gun.

"Oops," said Wedge blushing furiously.

"Whaddya mean 'oops'?" demanded Jessie darkly. Wedge flushed an even darker color of red as he quickly left the room and shut the door behind him.

"You might wanna cover up," replied Biggs with a grin on his face.

"Cover up?" repeated Jessie. "Cover up what?" Her eyes followed Biggs as he glanced down at her chest. With a gasp she drew up the sheets around her, shooting her companion a dirty look.

"By the way, if I could remember what happened I'd probably be getting back in bed with you…but I figure Wedge is here to round us up for another Avalanche meeting, so I'll hold off 'til a later time."

"Later time my ass—this never happened. None of us are ever gonna talk about this ever again. Now get out so I can get dressed!"

Biggs rolled his eyes and quickly stepped out of the room. Outside the door he found that he was at a sleazy hotel in the slums. He glanced at Wedge who was still a bright red. "Women, huh?"

Wedge gulped. "I…I didn't know you guys were, you know, together."

"It ain't like that."

"Uh-huh and when two people wind up in bed together it means nothin', right?"

Biggs shrugged. "To tell you the truth I don't remember a damn thing. Who the fuck really knows what happened last night?"

"I heard that!" called out Jessie from the other side of the doorway.

"Then again, I'm starting to think that this is gonna be a step forward in our relationship." Biggs grinned at the thought while Wedge shook his head in amusement.

"Ya know, Biggs, I don't think I've ever met a couple more screwed up then the two of you."

"Yeah, well, you probably won't meet another pair like us. Me and Jessie, we're one in a million."

**Train Graveyard**

"'Bout time ya got here," grumbled Barret eyeing his three group mates with a dark look on his face. "I've been waitin' so fuckin' long I almost forgot how to sit. Fuck, I thought you guys were part of Avalanche—not the lazy ass Turks!"

Biggs sighed. "We got…waylaid. It's a long story. Why don't ya tell us why you called a meeting?"

Barret grinned. "Rumor has it that Shinra is gonna be holdin' one helluva party tomorrow night. I was thinkin' of crashin' in an' givin' 'em a little present."

"The kind with explosives and gun power, right?" asked Wedge scratching his head.

"No, I was thinkin' of givin' 'em daisies an' candy—of course we're gonna use explosives an' guns ya idiot! What the hell kind of person d'ya think I am? Shinra is gonna pay for fuckin' up our planet. They're only gonna get what they deserve—an' it's long overdue."

"So what's the plan?" questioned Jessie after a brief moment.

"We're gonna go crashin' in through the front windows. They're havin' their shindig at some swanky restaurant…it'll be easy to single out Rufus an' the Turks. They're gonna be crawling all over the place…but this time we ain't gonna be chicken shit, are we?" Barret turned to glare at Wedge who trembled under his look.

"No sir," squeaked out the round man.

"An' remember, if nothin' else gets ya movin'…think of Elfe. She made Avalanche into what it is today…well, we woulda grown if she hadn't been killed by that damn Tseng fucker an' then we mighta had some more members…but still, she'd want us ta keep on fightin', an' that's what we're gonna do. So, you all in or what? This ain't an easy mission."

"They never are," pointed out Jessie.

Biggs chuckled. "Aw hell, I've been itching to gun down some Turks. They deserve it—so count me in!"

"Me too!" chimed in Wedge enthusiastically.

"Why not?" agreed Jessie. "We ain't ever gonna get another chance like this."

Barret nodded approvingly. "Alright, so we'll do it. Maybe ya guys ain't so pansy-assed like I thought."

**Shinra Headquarters**

Rufus stifled a yawn as he made his way into the President's office. His father was off…doing something, leaving the younger Shinra to converse with the Mayor of Midgar. Rufus inwardly groaned at the thought. The mayor was nothing more than an eager man hoping to please Shinra, Inc. in every way. It was almost disgusting.

"Mayor Domino, how are you?" asked Rufus politely, shaking hands with a pudgy man with balding hair.

"Very well, Rufus, thank-you. I was hoping we could discuss what fundraisers will be unveiled tomorrow night at the Shinra Gala," murmured Domino as he took a seat across from Rufus.

"Oh the usual bunch. It doesn't really matter as long as they invest in Shinra, Inc., right?"

"Right, right. You are always right, sir." Domino nodded enthusiastically, making Rufus suppress a smile. The mayor was a nitwit.

"Well then, I don't see why we should concern ourselves with unnecessary details, do you, Mr. Mayor?"

"Of course not. You have my deepest apologies, sir. I don't know what I was thinking."

"That's what I thought. You're a good man, Domino. I think you're the best Mayor we've had in Midgar in…years."

Domino cringed at the notion. "Yes, but, sir, the people of Midgar have been talking."

Rufus rolled his eyes. "They always talk…they're peasants, what else are they going to do?"

"Well _I _know that and _you _know that…but you see they're starting to say that I don't do anything. That my job is just a title—that I have no control over Midgar!"

A sly smiled made its way up Rufus' face. "Aw, but we both know that isn't true."

"Well yes—"

"If I were you, Domino, I wouldn't worry about it. They're just rumors. Rumors never have any truth in them."

"Rufus!" Both men looked up as the door of the office flew open, banging into the wall. Standing in the doorway was a large, tall man with a long brown beard and mustache and beady eyes.

"Heidegger, what brings you to these parts? I didn't think you felt comfortable inside building. I thought you'd be out doing…well, whatever it is you do best," mused Rufus with a slight frown.

Heidegger snorted. "We've got a problem, Rufus. Avalanche is said to be stirring."

"What?" Rufus' tone became icy cold.

"They're just rumors, mind you, but I thought you should be informed just in case those bastards decide to crash the gala tomorrow night."

By now Rufus was on his feet, moving towards the doorway. "I want _every_ possible precaution taken for tomorrow night's gala. I will _not _stand by and let those damn vigilantes ruin months of careful planning!"

Heidegger followed Rufus out of the office, the door closing and leaving a very bewildered Mayor Domino. As the mayor tried to figure out if his conversation with the vice president was truly over, the door opened once again, only to reveal Reeve.

"Oh, I was looking for Rufus," murmured Reeve in surprise. "What are you doing here, Domino? I thought you'd be out doing…what _do _you do?"

"At this point I simply duck and cover when the slummers throw rotten fruit and vegetables at my car as I drive through each sector," replied Domino with a sag of his shoulders. "I don't know why I bother staying the mayor. I don't do shit for the people of Midgar—no matter how much the vice president tries to allay my fears I'm afraid it does more harm than good. He has nothing to worry about with his father as the president. They don't give a damn about approval ratings and what life is like outside these doors."

"I couldn't agree with you more. I take it Rufus left in a huff?" asked Reeve.

"Something about Avalanche stirring again or something. You have to admit though, no matter how much damage they do they make the Shinra's see what's going on in the planet. I wish they weren't terrorists…but sometimes it's better than nothing at all."

**Sector 7**

"Aw shit, my socks are wet!"

"Don't talk to me 'bout socks, mate, I don't think there's a fuckin' spot on me that ain't wet."

"Would you two stop playing around and start cleaning those damn walls?" Tifa placed her hands on her hips and issued a dark glare in the direction of Rude and Reno. Both men had barely begun to clean the filth off the walls of the bar, only to realize moments too late that sloshing water onto the said walls merely ricocheted the stuff right back on them.

Reno sniffed and turned his back on Tifa. "Fine, I see where I stand in your life. I hope you feel sorry later when I die of pneumonia."

"I'll probably be relieved more than anything by then," replied Tifa crisply.

Rude snorted. "Ouch. Found yourself a feisty one, Reno."

Reno grumbled and turned his attention back to the dirty wall in front of him. Just as he picked up a rag and placed it on the said wall, Tseng entered the bar with a blonde girl at his heels. "Hey, Tseng, didja come to clean house with us?"

Tseng eyed his two Turks apprehensively before answering. "Not if it means I'll be turned into a drowned rat like the two of you. I came to talk business. I need you two outside pronto. Tifa, you don't mind entertaining Elena, do you?"

Tifa shrugged. "I guess not." She watched as Reno and Rude dropped their rags and turned to follow Tseng outside, leaving Tifa and Elena alone.

"So…nice place," commented Elena looking around the bar with a wrinkled nose.

"It's Reno's. He picked this piece of crap place out to open up a bar. I'm only gonna run it for him…just for a while…or at least 'til I get some more money made. Personally, I probably coulda picked out a nicer place than this one…but Reno insisted it was _perfect_," replied Tifa as she went over to the wall and picked up one of the fallen rags. "Are you a Turk too?"

"We-ell, I'm training to be one…my sisters are both members and Tseng has been trying to teach me a few moves…it's hard work. What about you? Are you a Turk?"

"No. I'm just friends with Reno. He offered me a place to stay after I landed here broke and homeless. Now he's offering me a job at this…bar."

Elena gave Tifa a wry smile as she too picked up a fallen rag. "Then you aren't seeing him? My sister made it sound like you and Reno were, you know, a _thing_."

Tifa shook her head with an amused smile on her face. "No, someone else holds a place in my heart and Reno knows it. Who's your sister?"

"Scarlet."

"Ah, I see. She's an…interesting person, to say the least."

"You can say it, I don't mind. She's a bitch. We're only half sisters, but she likes to lord it over me that she's daddy's favorite…as well as his legitimate child. I don't think she likes Tseng…she's been pissed that he's taken over my training."

"Can she even fight?"

"Tseng says she can't," admitted Elena with a shrug. "So I'm taking his word for it. 'Sides, he's in charge of the Turks. What he says goes."

Tifa furrowed her eyebrows as she glance over at the teenage girl beside her. Elena wasn't that much younger than herself. "What has he taught you so far?"

"A few defense blocks."

"What about offense? Has he taught you how to attack?" demanded Tifa. Elena shook her head no. Dropping her rag to the ground Tifa motioned for Elena to follow her into the middle of the bar. "Let me show you a couple of things that'll come in handy when the perverts decide to gang up on you when you're alone at night."

Outside Tseng, Reno, and Rude stood in a circle discussing AVALANCHE.

"Are you sure they're gonna show up?" asked Reno scratching the back of his neck absently.

Tseng nodded. "They'll be there alright. AVALANCHE won't let an opportunity like this pass them by without making some kind of hoopla. I'm stationing all the Turks at the gala to protect the heads of state who will be attending the affair."

"I hate fancy dinners," remarked Rude crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Reno chuckled. "Don't worry, mate, I'm sure we'll find ya a pretty girl ta hang on your arm for the evening."

"You two better take this a little more serious come tomorrow night. I want all eyes and ears open for when AVALANCHE shows up. Rufus will throw a fit if we let AVALANCHE crash the party without warning."

"Aw, give us a break, Tseng," groaned Reno. "AVALANCHE is gonna crash the fuckin' party one way or another. They ain't gonna back down just 'cause us Turks are crawlin' all over the place. That ain't their style. 'Member, they're still pissed over the whole Elfe thing. After she went down their group dwindled. If anything else we don't got too many vigilantes comin' after us anymore. AVALANCHE is goin' in a decline in the membership department."

Tseng rolled his eyes. "Yes, but pissed off vigilantes are the worst lot out there. They go looking for death. I don't want blood shed tomorrow night unless we come out victorious. Rufus will not look kindly on the Turks if innocent people die."

Rude frowned. "Why don't he set up his own security team? Why do we always hafta do his dirty work?"

"Because he pays us to." Tseng eyed his two underlings carefully before heading back inside the bar. Reno and Rude exchanged looks before following, stopping short at what they saw. Tifa was right in the middle of flipping Elena down onto her back.

"And that's how it's done," said Tifa triumphantly. "Why don't you give it a try?"

"Really?" asked Elena eagerly.

Tifa nodded and glanced over at the doorway. "Reno, come attack Elena."

"What? Why me?" challenged the red head as he made a face.

"'Cause I told ya to."

Reno began muttering over his breath as he made his way over to Elena. He shot Tifa a dirty look right before he lunged towards the petite blonde. Elena quickly grabbed his outstretched arms and bent herself over to send him flying into the air, over her back, and onto the ground in a crumpled heap.

"Ya owe me one, love!" called out Reno from his position on the ground.

Tifa grinned at Elena. "See? It's easy as pie."

"Yeah it is. Thanks. That should come in handy when I'm walking in the slums and those perverts start catcalling again," agreed Elena.

Tseng looked from Tifa to Elena and then back to Tifa. "You really are talented, aren't you? I have a proposition to make."

"What?" questioned Tifa and Reno at the same time. The red head scrambled onto his feet, shooting his boss a quizzical glance as Tifa turned to face Tseng.

"Tomorrow night Shinra, Inc. is hosting a black tie affair. There are rumors swirling that vigilantes upset with the government are thinking of crashing the party. If you are interested I would be more than willing to pay you a substantial sum of money if you could accompany Reno and help keep an eye on things. You seem to have a good eye already—and you're just as quick as any of my Turks. It would be nice to have as much help as possible."

Tifa pursed her lips thoughtfully as she glanced over at Reno. The red head seemed just as surprised at the offer as she was…but the extra money would be nice. "It doesn't sound that bad," she said after a moment. "All I hafta do is keep an eye out on anyone suspicious, right?"

"Right."

"I'm in."

**Somewhere Beyond Costa del Sol**

Cloud dodged another fierce blow that came his way. His forehead was bathed in sweat as he got back onto his feet, wielding his sword out in front of him. The monster bearing down on him seemed remarkably similar to the last one he and Zack had battled. Speaking of which, Cloud glanced over at his companion who was also getting back onto his own feet.

"Get outta here!" cried out Zack. "This is my fight!"

"Not on your life!" shot back Cloud angrily. "I'm sick and tired of you always gettin' the glory! It's time you let someone else into the limelight!"

At those words the two SOLDIERs lunged at each other with their swords drawn, both dutifully ignoring the monster hovering above them. Metal clanged against metal, making the monster roar. Cloud gritted his teeth as he pushed his sword against Zack's.

"Give up," seethed Zack with a dark look in his eyes.

"You first!"

They broke apart just as the monster sent a fireball their way. The two men landed on their backs, and slowly got back onto their feet. Locking eyes with each other, Cloud was the first to begin running straight towards the monster with his sword drawn. Zack didn't blink twice as he did the same thing, each one hoping to slay the beast using their own sword, neither one wanting to share the glory of being a hero.

A great explosion rocked the air as Cloud and Zack attacked the monster at the same exact time, sending the monster into oblivion and sending Cloud and Zack back onto their backs. Moments later when they began to sit up, groaning at the impact of the explosion, did they realize what had happened.

Cloud was breathing heavily as he used his sword to help him back onto his feet. Zack pushed himself onto his feet as well, bending over to pick his sword up off the ground. Neither one said a word to the other. Minutes passed.

Finally Cloud and Zack turned to face each other, their eyes taking note of the Mako draining out of the others'. Then, as one, the two men turned their backs on one another and began to walk away from the battle site. The time had come for them to forge their own paths in the search for Sephiroth.

**A/N—Yeah, I know I'm a little late with this one. I said Memorial Day Weekend…and it's like almost the next weekend after it…sorry about that. Anyhoo, I hope you like the events of this chapter. The next one will expand upon the party and Zack and Cloud going their own ways for a bit.**

**Just a warning though, the next update will not be until August. I'm taking a summer hiatus to relax and enjoy the outdoors rather than stay inside typing away another chapter. Well, that and I'll be back home where computer access is slim, so I wouldn't be able to get another chapter up anyway.**

**So feel free to PM or email me if you have any questions or worries. Please bear with me until August. The story's already outlined, so it shouldn't take that long to get the next chapter up when I return. Thanks for reading my story so far, keep up the great reviews!**

**-Storytellergirl-**


	15. The Shindig

**Disclaimer: Still doesn't belong to me.**

**Sector 2**

Tifa took a deep breath as she entered the restaurant on Reno's arm. As she had expected everyone turned to stare at her in her black dress. It had thin straps and hugged her every curve in very appealing ways from shoulder to waist, where it then flowed down to mid-calves. Strapped to her feet were open toed high heels that matched her dress. Tifa didn't wear any jewelry except her favorite pair of pearl earrings, and her hair had been left loose.

Reno offered Tifa a broad grin as he led her into the crowd to where Tseng was standing with Rude and Elena. "Yo, looks like the whole gang's here," stated Reno gesturing around the room.

"What a way to point out the obvious," murmured Tifa with a roll of her eyes.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Not a chance."

Tseng gave the pair a wry smile before glancing around the restaurant. Every window and exit had a Turk nearby. Dressed in black they were noticeable from the rest of the crowd. "Heightened security may all be for nothing…but I don't want to take any chances tonight. If Avalanche does decide to show up, we'll be ready. I just want you guys to mingle with the crowd, make sure no Avalanche sympathizers found their way inside."

"You're sticking me with the blonde kid, aren't ya?" asked Rude glancing at Tseng from behind black lenses.

"Her name is Elena. Play nice or else Scarlet might find it her sisterly obligation to kill you," replied Tseng.

Reno snorted. "You been drinking already, boss? You seem to have found yourself a sense of humor."

"Keep it up and I'll let Scarlet kill you for fun."

"She pissed you off, didn't she?"

"Let's just say that if Avalanche were to show and blow this joint to high heaven, I wouldn't mind if Scarlet were one of the casualties."

The small group watched with small smiles on their faces as Tseng sauntered off in the direction of Rufus and Scarlet. His face visibly tightened as Scarlet began to talk.

Rude shook his head. "Come on, kid, let's find us a spot to sit for a while."

"See you later," murmured Elena to Tifa as she turned to follow Rude in the direction of an empty table.

"Huh, nice couple, doncha think, babe?" questioned Reno innocently.

"I doubt they'd see it your way," stated Tifa flatly.

Reno shrugged. "Didn't expect them to. Come on; let's find us a spot on the dance floor."

"We're here to work, Reno, not dance."

"Obviously you've never heard of mixing business with pleasure." Reno grinned and took Tifa by the hand, leading her out onto the middle of the dance floor. She opened her mouth to object but was quickly silenced as Reno pulled her into his arms. One dance wouldn't hurt.

Rufus eyed the dancing pair carefully before turning his attention to Tseng. "Shouldn't your men be doing something other than enjoying themselves? I don't pay them to slack off, Tseng."

"This is why they work for me, Rufus. They're Turks. They've been trained well. They won't screw up."

"Oh please," snorted Scarlet. "All Reno has eyes for tonight is that slut he has in his arms."

Tseng grinned. "I'm starting to believe that you really are jealous, Scarlet. She's not as dense as you might think. Reno believes she's Turk material—and I'm inclined to agree with him. She taught your sister a few moves that you don't even know."

"She'll make a fine Turk, yes, but when will she be marked?" questioned Rufus as he took a glass of wine of a passing tray. "If she really is as good as you and Reno are playing her up to be, then I say mark her as soon as possible. I'm tired of being surrounded by incompetent fools."

"Reno's working on it. It seems our Tifa has ties to a rather unexpected adversary. But Reno believes that given some more time he will be able to erase this past love from her mind…and hopefully she'll align herself with us. Be patient. I have faith all will go well."

Scarlet glowered at Tseng. "You put too much faith in the impossible. There's something about that girl that bothers me. She's the enemy. I knew it from the very moment I laid eyes on her. She will never be one of us."

"We shall see about that," murmured Rufus. He glanced over at Tifa and Reno, his eyes following them as they swayed to the music. Then he tipped his head back and downed his glass of wine, replacing it on another passing tray. "Now, if you two don't mind, I have a few merchants to talk with."

**North Corel**

Cloud groaned wearily as he plopped down on the ground. He was on the outskirts of North Corel, but his feet were too sore to make it all the way into the center of town. His body ached, and all the blonde wanted was a bed so he could never leave it again, but Cloud refused to budge from his spot on the dirt.

He pulled his bag off of his back and stared at it for several long moments before opening it up. One hand dug through the bags' contents before pulling out a few bandages. Cloud unrolled the bandage material and took a deep breath as he pulled up a pant leg. He winced at the sight of a long gash on his shin. It had stopped bleeding a while ago, but it had yet to scab over. Cloud sighed as he wiped away torn cloth and dirt from the wound before wrapping it with the cloth bandage. Despite the many times he wrapped the cloth around his leg the red spot could still be seen.

"Just a few…more…feet…and I can…rest." Rolling the pant leg back down, Cloud pushed himself back onto his feet and grabbed his bag off the ground. Swaying slightly, the SOLDIER slowly made his way into North Corel.

A few townspeople stopped to stare as Cloud shuffled his way into their town. Women pulled their children away as men took uncertain steps forward in case the blonde stranger tried to attack. Cloud ignored everyone, his eyes pealed for the first hotel he could find. His feet came to a stop and Cloud blinked several times as he his head turned left and right. Finally he spotted a hotel and managed to head in that direction.

The hotel manager looked up curiously as the door opened and a man stepped through. His eyes bulged slightly at the sight of a downtrodden SOLDIER, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Cloud lurched towards the desk, his elbows slamming down onto the wooden top as his legs buckled.

"A bed…a room," he croaked. The manager nodded and pulled a key from off the wall behind the desk. Cloud pulled some money out of his pocket, scattering it across the counter as the manager handed him a key. Taking a deep breath Cloud pushed away from the counter and stumbled over to the stairwell, gripping the banister tightly as he began to climb upwards.

On the second floor Cloud leaned against the wall and made his way down the door that matched the number to his key. It took four tries to get the key into the lock, but eventually Cloud found himself in the room. Shutting the door behind him Cloud took two steps into the room and plopped himself down onto the bed stomach first. He could feel his body begin to relax. His bag fell down to the floor with a loud clunk. Cloud reached a tired arm behind his back and unfastened his sword, lowering it to the ground as well.

Minutes ticked by slowly and hours quickly passed. Dusk settled outside, darkening the room despite the open window. Cloud didn't sleep. He only lay on the bed, counting every breath he took. His mind was oddly blank, no thoughts, no dreams, no nightmares plagued his brain. His heart rate steadied to a constant thump in his chest.

As the sky continued to blacken outside Cloud finally seemed to break out of his chance. Thoughts began to flow through his head. Thoughts that scared him.

_Who am I?_

_Where do I come from?_

_Where am I?_

_What am I doing here?_

_Why am I so tired?_

_Why does my leg hurt?_

_Am I alive?_

_Am I dead?_

Cloud slowly pushed himself up on the bed, groaning as he turned his weary body over onto his back. He wanted to sit up but knew it would be near impossible to accomplish tonight. Instead he allowed himself to stare at the ceiling, recounting his every breath and beat of the heart.

By midnight Cloud was calm again. He struggled to sit up and managed it without any problem. He pushed himself onto his feet and over to the light switch on the wall. A dim light flooded his room. On the other side of the room was a mirror on the wall. Cloud winced as he slowly made his way to the mirror. He stood eye to eye with it, staring at his own reflection. He couldn't recognize himself.

_Who am I?_

Spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, pale skin. It was a stranger that looked back at him in the mirror. He lowered his eyes and gazed down at his hands. They were stained with blood and dirt. Cloud glanced back up into the mirror, but this time a different face looked back at him. Slick dark hair, brown eyes, tan skin and a confident smirk. Cloud's eyes shut and he counted to three before opening them again. This time it was long silver hair, bright blue eyes, and a sinister scowl.

"Not me. Not me." Cloud shut his eyes again and leaned both hands on either side of the wall beside the mirror. This time he counted to ten. When he opened them a heart shaped face with dark hair and purple eyes stared back at him. Cloud continued to stare as a name formed in his mind.

_Tifa._

_I am Cloud. _

_Cloud Strife._

He finally remembered.

**New Nibelheim**

Zack pushed opened the door to the rickety old mansion with a hesitant hand. The floor boards creaked beneath his feet. He brought his hand away from the door and gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands. Outside the moon shone bright, flooding the town in a white light. Without dropping his guard Zack made his way over to the grand staircase and slowly moved upwards on it.

He had arrived in town remembering the rumor that Hojo had a secret lab here. It hadn't taken Zack very long to know that here meant the abandoned mansion on the end of town. And if Zack knew Hojo as well as he thought he did that meant the lab entrance would be in the back of a closet leading all the way down to a hidden basement. At least that's how it worked back at Shinra Headquarters with Hojo's other secret lab.

On the second floor Zack walked into the nearest room and headed to the closet. Inside was another door. "Now that's luck." He opened the door and made his way down the spiral staircase, making sure to keep his sword drawn in front of him. At the bottom of the staircase the dark haired SOLDIER quietly moved down the stone corridor. He swallowed at the sight of appeared to be coffins, but he made himself keep walking. At the end of the corridor was yet another door, this one leading into Hojo's lab.

Inside the lab Zack finally allowed himself to lower his sword, but he only loosened one hand from the hilt. Moving quickly he began to search for one thing in particular: vials of Mako for injections. He found them hidden away behind a couple of books on a bookcase.

"Hojo you fool. I've outsmarted you again…" Zack grinned to himself and pocketed the Mako as he turned to make his way back into the corridor. Shutting the door behind him he began to walk down the corridor with his guard down. He had found what he had come for; now all he needed to do was find Cloud again.

Zack took the stairs two at a time on his way up to the second floor and without bothering to shut the door behind him he left the room and headed towards the grand staircase. As he stepped downward Zack could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He wasn't alone in the mansion.

His first instinct was that Cloud had followed him, but after a few more steps Zack knew it wasn't Cloud. It was someone…something else. Tensing, he gripped his sword in both hands and glanced around the dark foyer. "Who's there?"

"Get out!" the voice was deep throated and angry. It seemed to echo off the walls.

"Who are you?"

"I said get out!" This time there was no mistaking the threat. It was quickly followed by three gunshots in Zack's direction. Quick as a flash Zack moved his sword in front of his face and the bullets ricocheted to the ground.

"I get the point. I'm out. Just don't shoot me." Zack was cautious as he made his way to the front door. One hand groped for the handle as his eyes continued to rove the darkness in search of the shooter. Just as his hand found the doorknob and pulled the door open did Zack catch sight of a black figure on the staircase. Dark, ominous eyes glared back at him, and then a gun was raised. Zack didn't waste a moment as he scrambled out the front door and shut it behind him. Another shot rang out, thudding against the door.

Taking a deep breath Zack glanced back at the mansion and shook his head. He vowed to never come back no matter what.

**Sector 2**

"Anything?"

"Nothing."

The two younger Turks sighed at this exchange. They had spent the last three hours standing guard in the restaurant. So far there had been no sign of AVALANCHE anywhere. Many of the younger recruits were beginning to think the terrorist group wasn't going to show up.

"We're at least getting paid for this crap job, right?" asked one with rub at his eyes.

"Should be. We ain't enjoying ourselves so this ain't no pleasure thing."

"Reno's having fun."

"He's crazy."

"He's found himself a nice babe for the night too. Why couldn't we bring dates?"

The second Turk snorted. "Who'd go with your ugly mug?"

"Aw screw you." The two men parted and continued on their respective rounds, leaving their brief spot directly in front of the large restaurant window, neither one noticing a dark shape growing larger and larger outside.

Glass shattered, sending people screaming and ducking for cover as a jeep burst through the front window of the restaurant. Gunfire rang out, ricocheting off table tops that tipped over to protect men and women from the melee. From their posts every rookie Turk in the joint opened fire with their own weapons, turning what had started out as a peaceful gala into an all out war.

On the dance floor Reno had already pulled Tifa to the ground and over to a table on its side. The pair winced as bullets bounced off the side of their shelter. Reno peeked over the side and grimaced. "Alright, love, you stay here and let me handle this."

"What is there to handle?" demanded Tifa cringing as more bullets whizzed over their heads. "Let's just get out of here!"

"This is my job. Stay here." Reno pressed his lips to her forehead in a quick kiss and sprinted off back into the fray. Tifa cursed under her breath and cast a quick glance over the table to see what was going on. Her face paled as she caught sight of the man who's daughter she had rescued not that long ago. It was Barrett. Tifa was speechless. She had had no idea he was part of AVALANCHE. With a racing heart Tifa ducked back down behind her table, trying to sort her mind. Around her screams seemed to intensify as well as gargled cries of mercy. Shutting her eyes tightly Tifa tried to drown out the dying, unable to comprehend what was happening. Her eyes flew open as two men scurried over to her hiding place on their hands and knees.

"Mind if we share your spot?" asked one man.

"Go right ahead," murmured Tifa, moving to make room for them.

"Thanks," mumbled the fatter man with relief evident in his voice. His face was shrouded with sweat. "Reeve, this is a fucking mess. No one's going to trust the government with these AVALANCHE guys on the loose."

The man called Reeve sighed. "I know, Mayor, but there's nothing we can do about it. Rufus says the Turks have it handled."

Tifa snorted. "Does this look handled to you?" she asked with a shake of her head. The dark haired woman looked over the table again and frowned at what she saw. It looked like Scarlet had one of the terrorists on the ground with a gun pointed at her head. But the terrorist looked to be pleading for her life…and weaponless. "Excuse me, gentlemen, I'll be right back."

Pushing herself onto her feet Tifa walked across the dance floor, ignoring the looks a few of the rookies gave her from their hiding places. Tifa was on a mission. Without saying a word Tifa yanked the gun out of Scarlet's hand and tossed it over her shoulder, letting it skitter across the dance floor to a stop twenty feet away from them.

"What the hell are you doing?" screeched Scarlet in anger.

"Helping you out. I don't think the slummers will like hearing about some defenseless girl being shot to death by a Turk—even if that girl is a terrorist," shot back Tifa.

"How dare you! You have no right to intervene on this bitch's behalf! She's a fucking terrorist!"

"And killing a terrorist without a trial makes you any better?"

The two women locked eyes, both burning fiercely with volumes of hatred for the other. Scarlet made the first move swinging her arm at Tifa's head. Tifa ducked and thrust a palm into the other woman's chest, pushing Scarlet backwards and knocking the wind out of her. Gasping for breath Scarlet reached out with both hands and sunk her nails into Tifa's bare arms. Tifa growled darkly and pulled the evil woman in her direction, using a foot to step around Scarlet's legs and flip the woman onto her back. With a smirk Tifa brought her high heeled foot onto Scarlet's throat. Scarlet wheezed for air as the heel dug deeper into her voice box. She tried scratching Tifa's legs with her nails, but Tifa didn't care. She was angry. No person, no matter how bad, deserved to be murdered unless they were holding a gun on people—and that girl from AVALANCHE had been as defenseless as a newborn baby.

"Whoa now, darlin', let's not get carried away here," said Reno rushing over to pull Tifa off Scarlet's throat and a few feet away. "As hot as that was, there's no need for more violence. AVALANCHE is gone. There's no need to kill Lady Slut tonight—maybe some other time."

Scarlet scrambled to her feet, her hair a mess. Her eyes shot daggers as she pointed an accusing red nailed finger in Tifa's direction. "She aided the enemy! She's one of them!"

"You fucking little—" For the first time in her life Tifa felt her demeanor snap as she tried to launch herself at Scarlet. Reno wisely kept a firm hold on Tifa's arms, keeping her by his side.

"Hey now, Scarlet, Tifa's on our side. You know the boss man wouldn't be happy to find out you really did shoot some broad who didn't even have her own weapon."

"Fuck you! This isn't over, you fuckin' bitch, I'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I ever do!" With that threat Scarlet turned on her heel and pushed herself through the growing crowd of people who had managed to make it through the ordeal unscathed.

Tifa scowled but didn't say a word as she looked around the restaurant. It was in shambles everywhere. She couldn't remember hearing the gunfire end, but it had. And by the looks of things no members of AVALANCHE had been caught. Tifa glanced at the ground, but the red headed girl whose life she had just saved was gone.

"I'm sorry," murmured Tifa with a small sigh. "But I couldn't let Scarlet just kill her. It wouldn't have been right."

Reno shook his head. "It ain't a big deal, babe. So we didn't get any of those fuckers tonight, so what? We'll get 'em next time."

"Hey," said Rude suddenly breaking the silence. "Has anyone seen Tseng?"

**Sector 5**

With his hands in his pockets Tseng slowly moved up the wooden aisle of the church. His eyes took in the worn look of the pews as the soft glow of the moon filtered in through the stained glass windows. Being here made the Turk feel at peace with his self. Taking a deep breath he took a seat in the front pew and glanced up at the altar in front of him. Bone bare it was nothing to behold, but it was still a soothing sight.

He slumped in the pew and leaned his head against the back so he could close his eyes. He could feel his body relax. As soon as the gunshots had started at the restaurant Tseng had left. There wasn't much for him to do, his Turks had it handled as best they could. That hadn't been the only reason he had left the battle…something had called his soul here.

His eyes were still closed when he called out in a soft voice, "I know you're there, Aeris, you can come out. I'm not going to hurt you."

From the shadows Aeris emerged with some hesitation. "What do you want?" she asked.

"I'm just here to relax. I'm not working tonight—I won't bring you in."

"How can I be sure of that? Your men always come looking for me—they never get me, but they always come."

"Yes, _they_ come for you, not me. I don't do simple tasks anymore. That's not my line of work. I just hand out the orders." Tseng opened his eyes and looked Aeris's way. She now stood beside a pillar bathed in the moonlight. From where he sat she looked nothing less than an angel.

"But they could be sitting outside right now waiting for me to leave," she pointed out not moving from her spot.

"You put too much faith into them, my dear. Reno is wound up in a new girl he found for himself and Rude's on babysitter duty. They won't come tonight. They're afraid of this place. Too holy for them."

Aeris put a small smile on her face in amusement. "So you came to relax?"

"Yes. Isn't that why you come here? To let this place take away your every worry—your every fear?"

"…yeah."

"You don't sound certain." Tseng sat up. He could sense the sadness in her voice.

Aeris shrugged. "My boyfriend…Zack…I usually come here to pray for him. To pray that he'll come back to me…that we'll never be parted again."

"You're much too young to be in love."

"You're never too young or old to be in love. It just happens. It's a way of life. And true is something you can't ever stand in the way of. If two people are meant to be together then they will be—and nothing will stand in their way."

Tseng chuckled. "Now I think you put too much faith into true love. Nothing is as easy as that, Aeris. There are so many obstacles in the world standing in the way of true love that sometimes one can die without ever experiencing it."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to." Tseng glanced back at the altar with a thoughtful look. "What makes you so sure this Zack is the one for you?"

"I just do. It's something I feel inside of me, something that knows no matter what happens he's the one for me, and I'm the one for him. Before he left…he told me something, something I'll never forget. He told me that death itself couldn't keep him from me…that's how I know he's the one, because I know that even if he or I should die before we're together that we'll end up together in the Life Stream."

"So you're saying that should Zack ever die…"

"It won't be long before I join him," answered Aeris simply. She didn't say any more, or offer any reasoning behind her words. She simply let them hang in the air between them.

Tseng nodded once and got to his feet. With soft steps he came to stand in front of Aeris. Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder he said, "Be careful. The planet isn't a safe place anymore, especially not for you. And I hope you'll think about living a full life rather than dying for this boy you love. You're young. You have a future ahead of you."

As he turned to walk away Aeris spoke, "Perhaps, but I think I'm destined for something beyond this life. Don't worry about me, I don't."

Tseng froze and glanced back at Aeris. He opened his mouth to speak, but there was something about what she said that rang true in his ears. His eyes lingered on her silvery figure as moonbeams danced in her hair. Beautiful didn't do her justice. No word did. Closing his mouth Tseng turned and walked away, his heart pounding in his chest. The government had said Aeris was one of the most important people on the planet. Tseng knew they had no idea how important.

**A/N—I know, I know, I'm late with the update…this chapter was really hard for me to write. I didn't know how to go about it. I'm not quite thrilled with most of it…but I think it displays some important insight for future reference. So, I hope you enjoy it. I didn't mean to make you guys wait so long…school started up and since I switched majors I've been adjusting to a totally different schedule of classes…and they're ten times more grueling than usual. So, my apologies, hopefully the next update won't be so long.**


	16. Decisions

**Disclaimer: This stuff doesn't belong to me.**

**Sector 7**

"It looks nice," stated Reno with a wide grin.

"It's a bar," replied Tifa, amusement in her eyes. She chuckled as Reno flashed her a hurt look. "Well, it is. I'm just glad we're finally done fixing it up. Now we can open it and I can make money."

"You mean we can make money."

"No, I meant me. I'm supposed to be running the bar, aren't I? You're not even helping out—so why should you get any money?" Tifa's words were only half serious. She knew Reno would make a profit from the bar since he owned it, but it was she who would be doing all the work. It was just fun rubbing it in his face.

"Hey now, love, I helped put this piece of shit back together. Remember when you broke the floor?"

"_I_ broke the floor? Oh, you're a funny man, Reno. You might want to sleep with one eye open."

Reno chuckled. "I didn't know we were sleeping together now, darlin'. For you I'll never sleep."

"In your dreams," retorted Tifa with a snort. Reno shrugged, a smile still on his lips. Tifa rolled her eyes and then glanced around the bar one last time in admiration. It was finally completed. Months of back staking labor done. "This hunk of junk still needs a name."

"I thought we had agreed on 'Lover's Den'?"

"Do I look like a hussy to you?"

"Alright, alright." Reno couldn't help smiling at the dark glare the brunette sent his way. He loved pushing her buttons; the look on her face was well worth it. "Well, do you have any ideas? Every single one I've come up with has been shot down."

"Maybe if you stopped trying to put sexual innuendos into the name they wouldn't be shot down," pointed out Tifa sagely as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"But then it'll get stuck with some lame ass name like 'Seventh Heaven' or something," pouted Reno.

Tifa's face brightened. "I like it."

"Huh?"

"Seventh Heaven. I like it. That's what we'll call it."

"We will?"

"Yep, and I couldn't have come up with a better name myself." Tifa reached up on her tip toes and planted a quick kiss on Reno's cheek. "See, I told you that if you started using your brain more often it would actually get you somewhere."

"Do you think it'll get me into a bed with you?"

"Keep talking like that and it'll only get you into bed with a corpse."

"Point taken." Reno ran a hand through his hair as Tifa stepped away. He was about to open his mouth to say something else when the front door of the bar opened up. Both Reno and Tifa glanced towards the doorway in surprise as Tseng walked in.

Reno spoke first. "Tseng, old buddy, old pal, where have ya been? We haven't seen you since the party."

"I've been working," replied Tseng coolly.

"At least someone is," murmured Tifa shooting Reno an appraising look.

"Hey, I've been working," protested Reno.

Tifa's eyebrow shot up inquiringly. "Really? When?"

"Yesterday, but you weren't watching."

"Going out to get food doesn't count as working—especially when all you did was call Rude and have him meet you outside the bar with delivery."

"But do you know how long it took me to convince Rude to even come?"

Tifa shook her head in dismay as Tseng finally started to talk. "It's nice to see that I can leave you boys alone. You're my second in command, Reno. You shouldn't be skulking around in your duties."

Reno groaned. "I ain't been skulking…there just hasn't been any Turks business to take care of. The AVALANCHE fiasco turned out to be a bust, we didn't catch any of 'em."

"I know." Tseng rubbed his forehead wearily. "Scarlet has quit the Turks. It seems her little fight with Tifa was the last straw. Her loyalties now lie with Rufus, and only Rufus. Apparently Scarlet feels the Turks have lost their way, and she won't be a part of it anymore."

"Good riddance. I can't say I'm not glad to see her go. That lady was always being a real bitch—going on and on about me being a lazy ass and worthless. She didn't do shit for us, Tseng, and you know it," stated Reno with a serious tone of voice.

Tseng nodded in agreement. "I know. What worries me however is that she's trying to convince Rufus that he needs to find some new lackeys. She wants all of us out so she can take over the espionage program."

Reno shrugged indifferently. "She won't get far, Tseng. There are too many Turks for her to get rid of. None of 'em are loyal to her."

"No, but if she manages to convince Rufus that we aren't living up to expectations you can be sure our jobs will only get harder."

"So what do we do?"

"Hire more Turks."

"Oh yeah, 'cause that's easy to do," muttered Reno with a shake of his head. "We ain't ever gonna find any shoe-ins anymore. A Turk is a dyin' breed. There ain't anyone out there with the skills to be one of us."

"Isn't there?" Tseng turned his head to look at Tifa. Reno frowned and did the same, not sure what Tseng was trying to say. A second later a small grin was on his face as the pieces fell into place.

Tifa looked back and forth between the two men, confusion written on her face. "What?" she asked timidly.

Tseng chuckled softly. "My dear, you are a natural when it comes to martial arts. You would make a good Turk…and it seems we have an open spot if you want it. I think you would be a real asset to the team."

"A Turk? Me?" Tifa frowned. "I don't know. I really wasn't planning on sticking around Midgar very long…just until I made enough money to get going again. I'm not sure if being a Turk is really my calling. I don't know what my calling is."

"The choice is entirely up to you, but I'd rather you thought on it for a while. And, if you don't mind, I will borrow Reno for the rest of the day. We have a lot of work to do now that Scarlet's out of the picture."

Tifa nodded in understanding, her eyes furrowed thoughtfully. She had a lot on her mind now. Reno motioned to Tseng to wait for him outside and then turned back to Tifa. "Hey now," he said softly, gently gripping her arms with his hands. "You don't have to agree to any of this you know."

"It's not that," murmured Tifa softly.

"Then what is it."

Tifa bit her bottom lip before saying, "Cloud. You promised me you'd find out if he was still alive and where he was…I just…I can't make any final decisions until I know about him."

Reno was silent as he gazed at the woman in front of him. He wasn't sure he liked the look on her face. She looked so sad and lost…both feelings he had never known. And he wasn't sure what to tell her. The letter from Cloud was still hiding in his apartment. He knew now that he would never give it to her, not if it meant losing her to the blonde SOLDIER. With that in mind Reno finally decided on a course of action.

"Tifa, love, I…I don't know how to tell you this…but your guy…Cloud…well he's…he's dead. I'm sorry."

Tifa's head shot up, her eyes as wide as saucers. Reno pulled out a chair and lowered her shaking form into the wooden seat, taking note that her face had paled. He crouched down in front of her, his hands clasped around hers. Tears trickled down Tifa's face and Reno knew she believed him.

"I really am sorry," he repeated in a whisper.

"It's not your fault," replied Tifa just as quietly, tears evident in her voice. "You should go…Tseng's waiting."

"But you…are you gonna be alright?"

Tifa shrugged as she pulled a hand away from Reno's grasp to wipe away a tear. "No…but there's nothing you can do about it…I'll see you later though. I'm just gonna sit here for a bit and then go back to the apartment."

"Alright." Reno sat back on his heels and studied Tifa's face for another minute. "You know where to find me if you need anything."

He stood up at the tiniest nod from Tifa, and then, impulsively, he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "I'll see you later." Straightening up, Reno turned around and walked out of the bar.

Tifa didn't even watch as Reno left. She was in too much shock. Had he just kissed her? Tifa shook her head; she hadn't even comprehended the news that Cloud was gone. Forever it seemed too. He would never return to her; he would never make good on his promise; she and Cloud were simply not meant to be together. Tears continued to stream down Tifa's face, falling into her lap unnoticed. Her fingertips traced her lips, still feeling the warmth of Reno's kiss, but in her heart and mind all she could see was a blonde boy with blue eyes.

**Sector 5**

Cid took long strides as he walked down the dusty street. He didn't give a damn that people were staring at him like he was crazy. He had business to take care of. It had been weeks since he had retreated back to the aptly name Rocket Town to nurse his anger at Shinra Inc. Now he wanted revenge, and not on just anyone. Cid wanted revenge on Palmer. It was that man's fault Cid wouldn't be going into space.

Behind Cid Shera was struggling to keep up with her boss. She had pleaded with him not to return to Midgar; told him it wasn't worth the aggravation. Naturally he ignored her and Shera had boldly told him that if he was going she was too. Cid had balked at the idea at first, then shrugged and told her to whatever the hell she wanted. Thus the reason why Shera was now in the last place on the planet that she wanted to be.

"Cid," said Shera, praying he wouldn't turn around and spear her for interrupting whatever thoughts were running through his head. "I don't think walking up and down the streets of Midgar is going to help us find Palmer any quicker."

"Shows what you know, Shera," retorted Cid brusquely, not bothering to even glance back at her. "I'm gonna find him, and when I do there's gonna be some bloodshed."

Shera paused in her tracks, closing her eyes to catch her breath as well as say a quick prayer for Cid's soul. When she opened her eyes again she saw that Cid had come to a halt. Thinking that perhaps he was waiting for her, Shera made to catch up with the blonde pilot when she noticed he wasn't alone. In fact he was with a woman, and not just any woman. It was the blonde turned red head, shrill woman known as Scarlet.

Feeling her confidence deflate once more Shera decided that she really didn't want to hear the exchange between her boss and Scarlet. Turning away, the petite woman glanced around the sector, and upon spying a run down church headed off in its direction.

Cid was oblivious to the fact that Shera was missing. He was seething to the core because of the woman standing before him. Scarlet. She really knew how to press all the right buttons to get a man riled up with more anger than a behemoth.

"What the hell d'ya want?" demanded Cid, gripping his lance with one hand.

Scarlet smirked. "I take it you aren't pleased to see me. That's a shame, most men adore coming across me on any given day."

"Yeah, well I'm guessin' most men don't give a flyin' fuck what kind of diseases you're carryin' around."

"Go to hell."

"You first lady. I'm only in town to see Palmer."

With a snort Scarlet said. "I highly doubt you'll find him. The man's been cowering beneath his desk for weeks now. He knows you want his head."

"Whatever gets him shakin'. Ya might want to tell him I'm coming for him."

"Oh, I think he already knows that."

"And I'm comin' for your boss too. No one double crosses me and gets away with it," snapped Cid, his anger rising. It was then that he realized that Shera was missing. With a frown his attention to Scarlet waned as he scanned the street, trying to spot the familiar brunette that he was slowly growing accustomed to having around. She was nowhere to be found.

Noticing his lack of attention, Scarlet glanced around the sector as well; unsure as to whom it was he was searching for. Her teeth grated together as one face popped into her mind. "Where's you little lapdog?" she taunted. "The one who makes your lunch? Did you lose her? That's a shame…but I'm sure if you asked nicely I could fill her shoes at night…"

Cid bristled as he felt a finger run up his arm. He moved quickly, gripping Scarlet's wrist with his free hand, twisting it so that her face reflected pure pain. "It ain't like that, bitch…but if I hear you did anythin' to Shera I'll kill you, got it?" He let go of her arm, backing away, but keeping her within his sight. His eyes glinted with malice, and then he turned away, walking back the way he had come. Perhaps Shera had returned to the inn they were staying at.

Scarlet watched him go, rubbing her wrist and cursing all of women-kind. Competition was not something she liked, and it seemed to be a growing trend these days. Vowing to get rid of anyone and everyone who ever came in her way of a man again Scarlet took off in the opposite direction. She would return to Shinra Headquarters and relay the threat to Palmer. Seeing the pathetic man quake in his shoes would be priceless.

As the altercation between Cid and Scarlet was taking place, Shera had quietly pushed open the doors to the church and slipped inside. Tranquility grabbed a hold of her soul, washing away her doubts and fears. The petite brunette wrapped the large jacket she had on around her body and stood still, taking in the peacefulness within the church. It was then that the sound of hushed voices caught her ear. Curious, but not wanting to be seen or heard Shera moved into the shadows, taking a seat in a pew, kneeling down as if in prayer. Through half-lidded eyes she could make out two figures standing at the front of the church near a small garden of flowers.

"You are an Ancient, Aeris, and that's a fact," murmured Tseng, wincing as Aeris turned away from him with a stricken look. "That's why you are so important to Shinra. You're the last of your kind."

Aeris shook her head, refusing to turn around and meet his gaze. Not while there were tears in her eyes. "I'm only the last one because you and your Turks killed Elfe, the former leader of the vigilante group AVALANCHE. If you hadn't killed her you wouldn't need me."

"…that was a mistake on our part, I'll admit it…but Elfe would have killed herself before allowing us to capture her. Either way you would still be the hope of the planet and Shinra Inc."

"What do they want with me? What would they do to me if they ever caught me?"

"I don't know. It isn't my place to know, nor my job to ask. I'm only the hired help. I do as I'm told—no more, and no less."

"I don't remember my mother…but I think I've always known that she was a Cetra…that she was special, and that I would one day follow in her footsteps." Aeris sighed, bringing a hand up to wipe away her tears as she turned back around to face Tseng. "Why won't you turn me in? You've had so many chances now…but you haven't done a thing except let me go."

Tseng shrugged helplessly. "I don't know why. Perhaps I'll never know why…all I know is that I don't feel right taking you in myself. I'll let Reno and Rude be the heroes on that front…I won't dirty my hands by doing something that I'm not even sure is right."

Aeris gave him a small smile, her hands coming together and twisting nervously. "Thank-you, then, for listening to your conscience…" Silence loomed for several seconds before Aeris spoke again. "I've been dreaming of Zack again. Terrible, dark dreams. I'm afraid I'll never see him again."

"I'm sure you will."

"Will I? Zack is my one true love. Everyone has one, you know. And Zack is mine. I won't love another like I love him…he told me…he told me that death itself couldn't keep him from me. I like to believe that. I like believing that fate will keep us together forever."

"I'm sure many girls your age feel the same way about their first boyfriends," replied Tseng wryly.

"Maybe…but something inside me says that no matter what happens, no matter who I learn to care for after Zack, he will always be my soul mate, my one true love."

"Then I will try not to bring your hopes crashing down."

"But I'm afraid we won't be together in this life. The next one we might…but not this one." Aeris glanced up at Tseng with more tears in her eyes, making the older man reach forward and pull her into his arms. He felt her shaking with tears, crying her heart out, and it troubled him. Not her tears, they were something he was very much used to in his line of work; no, he was troubled by her words. She talked as though she could see the future, that she could see Zack's death…or even her own. Holding her in his arms, Tseng knew that he would never be able to bring himself to harm Aeris in any way.

In the back of the church Shera watched the scene unfold, wondering what it would be like to be comforted by someone who loved her just as the man loved the girl. She would never know. With a sigh Shera pushed herself to her feet to leave the church and couple in peace. As she turned towards the doorway however she noticed the door silently swinging shut. Apparently she hadn't been the only one watching the pair inside the church.

Outside Elena's face was drawn into a serious look. She still couldn't believe what she had seen. Tseng and Aeris. Aeris and Tseng. Either way she said it the meaning was the same. Her best friend had moved in on the man Elena adored. The blonde girl closed her eyes for a moment, counting backwards from ten, exhaling slowly. When she opened them again, her blue eyes were gleaming with unspoken vows. From here on out the only one she could trust would be herself.

**Elsewhere**

Cloud walked slowly, his sword dragging along behind him in his hands. He was listless; restless…death seemed better than the aimless wandering he was now partaking in. He had spent the last few nights staring into the mirror, just trying to memorize his face and trying to envision one that belonged to a girl he knew. Tifa. Everything always came back to her. Where was she? Had she received his letter? Was she still waiting for her? Did she love—

His thoughts were cut off as Cloud was tackled to the ground, losing his grip on his sword. His blue eyes widened as he realized the man doing the tackling was none other than Zack. The blonde SOLDIER struggled to push Zack off him, panic building up as he caught sight of something sharp in the dark haired man's hand.

"Stop—" The needle was shoved into Cloud's arm, making him yelp in pain and grow limp. It took a moment, but before long he recognized the ever familiar feel of Mako returning to his veins.

"You alright?" asked Zack getting up and gazing down at the still form of Cloud on the ground. He had never injected anything before in his life, and wasn't sure if he had done it correctly with Cloud.

Cloud gazed up sightlessly, not blinking or moving. Then he blinked, directing his gaze towards Zack. Everything was clear again. Sounds and sights were as sharp as ever, not dull and warped like before. "Never better," he replied, pushing himself into a sitting position.

Zack chuckled. "Good to have you back, buddy."

"It's good to be back," agreed the blonde with a grin of his own. "Now let's go find Sephiroth."

**A/N—I'm so sorry this took so long to get up…I was stuck for like a week on how to portray certain events…and school got in the way…and you know how it goes, lame excuses as usual. But here's the latest chapter…enjoy.**


	17. Tagged

**Disclaimer: **A million thanks to the dear creators of the Final Fantasy VII series, for without them this story would not exist. I can only hope to be as creative as them in the future.

**A/N 1 – **how long has it been? Much too long, right? I apologize that this update has taken over a year. My muse got eaten by issues at home along with school and I've been unable to get around to finishing this story up. Lame excuses, I know, but also the truth. As I sort out writing time with one year of college left to go please bear with me. I _will_ finish this story, I promise – it's one of my favorite ones to write. I just need to get back into the swing of things first, so updates will be sporadic in the meantime, though not a year in between again.

--

**16 – Tagged**

The room was dark, though a small gleam of light tried to peek through the closed blinds. Outside the weather was nice, it was one of the better days beneath the polluted haze of the Mako towers. But Tifa wasn't up to going outside. She wasn't even up for leaving the room she had holed herself up in since the discovery that Cloud was gone from her forever.

A part of her refused to believe it. A part of her believed it was a lie, that Cloud was out there somewhere and she only needed to believe that he would return to her as promised. She knew Cloud, and she knew he would do as he said he would. He always had in the past. It was one of his character flaws, to do everything just as said rather than making any form of concessions in order to get around it. It was the reason Tifa had fallen in love with him. He was loyal, good, dedicated. Those were qualities one couldn't find in many others, and it was for that alone that so many years ago she had believed she would love no other.

Yet now everything was completely off.

Cloud was gone, and Tifa was all alone. All her hopes and dreams had been shattered with those simple words spoken to her by someone she trusted. It was more than she could bear. For now what would she do? She could still travel to the seashore as she had been trying to do from the beginning, but what of her own promises here? She had agreed to open the bar for Reno and work there for some time to come. Nothing was permanent, she knew that, but Tifa had never really given a date for which she would be immediately leaving. Truth be told, the female martial artist wasn't sure if she wanted to leave.

That was what made her feel all the more miserable. If Cloud were truly gone then Tifa would be left with this nagging thought that somehow or another she had been the cause of his doom. Since her arrival in Midgar she had been thrust into an entirely new world, and with it had come someone that could make her forget all her troubles the way Cloud had in the past.

What if it was that uncertain doubt in her own loyalty to Cloud that had led the fates to take him from her forever?

Thoughts of Reno had been going through her mind since the discovery that Cloud was dead. It was all very complicated for Tifa. Whatever she felt for the red headed Turk wasn't quite what she felt for Cloud, but it was certainly something. He genuinely seemed to care for her, or so she thought given the fact that Reno was currently sitting outside the door of her bedroom as he had been for three days now, ever since Tifa had decided sleep would be the best remedy for a broken heart. She didn't think it was love … it couldn't be given that she was mourning another as though they had been more intimate than they had actually been. But it was the thought of Reno on the other side of the door that gave Tifa comfort, albeit a small bit, that she really wasn't alone anymore. She never had been.

Growing up she had always been dependent on others. After her mother's death she had been solely dependent on her father, then after her accident it had been Cloud that she had attached herself to. When he had gone off to join SOLDIER Tifa had begun her training in Martial Arts, thus beginning her dependence on her former Master. She only remembered bits and pieces of her life after that. All she knew was that one day she had been the tour guide at home, and then another day she was traveling with her Master. There was a whole part of her life that she was missing, but it had never bothered Tifa that she couldn't remember it. It wasn't what mattered. What mattered was the fact that before coming to Midgar Tifa had always had someone else in her life to care for her and make sure she was alright. She had never been alone before, and she certainly hadn't been independent.

Even now she had Reno, just as she had from the first day she had ended up in the city.

So it was a bit of a crossroads for Tifa to decide what exactly to do next. On the one hand it would be a good chance to spread her wings and fly; a good time to figure out who exactly she was. But on the other hand she wasn't quite ready to be alone.

Perhaps she never would be.

Moving her bare feet from out beneath her covers Tifa placed them on the floor, her eyes going to the doorway. A moment passed and then she was walking over to the door, her hand going to the doorknob and hesitating for only a moment.

On the other side Reno glanced up with mild surprise on his face as the door opened and Tifa appeared, her tear streaked face looking solemn as she glanced down at him. "Tifa –" He was saved from having to say more as Tifa bent down and burrowed her face into his chest, her arms wrapping around his chest.

"Thank-you," she murmured softly. "Thank-you for staying with me."

Wrapping his own arms around her body Reno closed his eyes. "Anything for you, love. Anything for you."

And just as surely as her heartache had set in, Tifa finally began the slow process of moving on.

**Wutai Valley**

"This place reeks," muttered Scarlet as she removed her red heel from yet another puddle of swamp water. "I thought you said we'd be going where there was some civilization."

"We are," replied Heidegger with a fierce growl. "It's just a matter of finding civilization. The Wutai Nation is hardly known for their welcoming manner, so I didn't think they would appreciate us showing up in the middle of their city in our helicopter."

"No, you decided to land us in some god-forsaken field and hike towards their city like a pair of complete idiots."

"The Vice President gave us this task, Scarlet. Of all the Turks I would have thought you would have been a little more appreciative of the duty we have been given. The object of which we seek has been missing since the Wutai War – if we find it you would have another few points on Tseng. Who knows, you might even end up with his job in the future."

Scarlet made a face at the thought. "I think I'll pass. The Turks would never listen to me, even if I had all of Midgar behind me. They're too damn independent for their own good. I don't know why Rufus insists on keeping them around."

"Coming from a Turk, that sounds an awful lot like treason, my dear."

"I've always had my doubts about being a part of their little crew."

"This has nothing to do with what happened at the Gala the other night in which you were shown up by Reno's little plaything?" questioned Heidegger after a moment, his beady eyes going over to his female companion in time to see her scowl.

"Tifa Lockhart is a mistake. She would be the undoing of the Turks – I don't trust her, and neither should anyone else. There's something about her."

"Her compassion for others and the fact that she saved the life of a member of AVALANCHE?"

"Something like that."

Shaking his head Heidegger turned away from Scarlet, his eyes going to the path at his feet. It wasn't much of a path as it was a clearing between a thicket of bushes. He had been approached that morning by none other than Rufus Shinra himself to be given the task of looking for something that would help the Shinra in their quest of bringing down the Cetra. Heidegger hadn't shared very much with Scarlet about this particular object, only that it would be beneficial if she came along so as to move up in the government should they find it. He had a bit of a soft spot for the woman walking a foot behind him. Scarlet reminded him a bit of himself with her need for power and inability to let things lie as they were. She could easily do so much better than her current position with the Turks if only she could move from out of their shadow.

His attention shifted from his companion to the rustling sound that came from some nearby bushes. There was something other than him and Scarlet out in the god-forsaken wilderness they were tramping through. He allowed his mind to go through the brief catalogue of beats and creatures he knew lived out here. A majority of what came to mind were things he could not beat on his own, not even with the help of Scarlet on one of her better days. The blonde turned red head wouldn't like to admit it, but she was still recovering from the beating she had taken from Tifa not so very long ago – she was hardly in any shape to be fighting.

Scarlet had heard the rustling sound as well, and now she was standing at the ready. There was no way in hell she was going to made look like a fool out in the middle of nowhere, even if there was no one here to rub it in her face later. The woman was a bitter soul and she wasn't in the mood to be messed with. "Alright, you pesky little critter, where the fuck are you?" she murmured under her breath as she moved her eyes from one bush to another, trying to peer through the bramble to see whatever it was that was out there.

A giggle greeted her words.

Exchanging a look with Heidegger Scarlet turned herself about slowly, her fingers twitching as she did so. Her head was turned to the right, so she never quite saw what it was that whizzed past her other than a breeze. She turned to the left, her eyes peeled as she ground her teeth. From her right the odd breeze passed her again. "What the fuck?" she exclaimed out loud.

Heidegger glanced over at his companion. He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary, though that was more due to the fact that his own eyes had been focused in the other direction. The rustling sound greeted his ears again and he turned to see if he couldn't find the source, never once suspecting that the small breeze that had just harassed Scarlet would do the same to him. When he looked to the left it struck on the right, and when he looked to the right it struck on the left leaving him completely bewildered.

"This is a creature unlike any I've ever experienced before," he murmured softly, his eyes going in every direction just as Scarlet crept closer, her own eyes wary of their surroundings.

Silence greeted them.

"Whatever the hell it was, I think it's gone."

Shaking his head Heidegger placed his hand into the opening of his coat to reach beyond his materia for his flask of whiskey. He found the whiskey, but nothing else. "Scarlet, where did you place your materia?"

Rolling her eyes, Scarlet stuck a hand into her pocket only to come out empty. "Fuck! Something stole my materia!"

"I think we've found ourselves a thief out here in Wutai Valley."

"And as soon as I find that fucker I'm going to kill him!" vowed Scarlet with a serious gleam in her eyes.

In the meanwhile, the said thief was making her way through familiar terrain, several balls of materia glowing in her arms. It had been almost too easy to elude the strangers in the valley. They had been too busy pouting about some girl to even notice her creeping closer to their positions. She had easily struck them when they were looking the other way, proof that her training was proving somewhat useful; though she supposed it would be better that she concentrate on things worth her training as a ninja. Thievery hardly constituted a future career unless she decided to take up some sort of job as a mercenary, and really, what were the chances of that ever happening?

Still gloating over her find, Yuffie stuffed the pouch around her waist with the materia so she could move a little faster through the brush. She couldn't wait to show her father what exactly she had found today, as well as to inform him that there were strangers headed their way. Wutai didn't take kindly to strangers, and Yuffie wanted to be the first to inform her father that there a pair of idiots out where they didn't belong.

It didn't take her very long to make it back to her village. It never did. Yuffie knew the area like the back of her hand, as cliché as the saying was. She had actually once drawn herself a map on the back of hand one of the first times she had ventured out alone. While it had taken close to eight hours to find her way back she could now say that she no longer needed to draw herself a map of Wutai Valley. Yuffie simply knew where she was all the time. It was that simple.

Nodding her head in greeting to the man standing watch at the town entrance, Yuffie made her way over to the pagoda that belonged to her father. She hated it and loved it at the same time. At this time of day he would be dining with whatever pretty face he desired, something she despised as it left her with the impression he had forgotten all about her mother, the one woman he claimed to have actually loved.

She took the steps two at a time, going through the entrance and down the hall to where her father liked to dine. Inside she had to clear her throat three times before he noticed her presence, forcing him to glance away from the woman feeding him grapes to gape at his daughter. There were times when he simply forgot she was around; her spirit was so much like that of her mother's. She wandered around without a care in the world, and Godo had stopped worrying about her after the child had proven that even while lost she could find her way back home … eight hours that it had taken that very first time and he had been worried sick and unable to eat during the entire time. Now Yuffie was capable of taking care of herself, or so Godo hoped.

"Guess what I found in the valley," started out Yuffie smugly the moment she had her father's attention.

"I don't know, what?" he replied with an ease of caution. He always took whatever his daughter had to say with two grains of salt. Not only did she have that spirit of her mother's, but she had the story telling aspect of it as well.

"This." From out of the pouch around her waist the dark haired teen pulled out several balls of materia, all glowing brightly in the enclosed area of the room.

Godo felt his eyes dance with delight at the sight. It couldn't be said that he didn't appreciate materia whenever it came his way. The leader of Wutai absolutely lived for it. "Where on earth did you find those?"

"Off a couple of strangers headed this way."

"And they had this much materia between them both?" Godo reached out and took the pouch from Yuffie, his attention leaving her as he rifled through the sack.

The dark haired girl frowned. At the age of thirteen she was still very much a child when it came to trying to impress people, and it seemed that no matter what she did she would never come close to captivating the attention of her father the way materia did. It was downright unbelievable. "Yeah, and they're coming this way."

"So?"

"So, don't you think we should encourage them to _not _come this way?" demanded Yuffie somewhat darkly.

"They might be tourists." Godo glanced up with a frown. "If they're tourists we need the money, so we should encourage them to come our way."

"But I don't think they're tourists."

"Why, are they plotting another war against us?"

"No."

"Do they carry some sort of disease we might catch and die from?"

"No."

"Are they half human, half monster?"

"No … well, maybe. They're both kind of creepy."

"Yuffie, unless you can give me a good reason not to welcome these strangers, do not just assume they are bad people."

"I think I liked you better when you used to talk about people from Midgar with bared teeth."

"I never did such a thing."

"Yes you did, right whenever that guy from the city mentioned the funny man with white hair – you said it was his fault Wutai became a tourist attraction."

Godo bristled. "You would do well not to bring up such a thing again, child. There are many things for which you could never understand."

"No, and I'll never understand them if you don't tell me about them."

"You're too young."

"That's your answer for everything," muttered Yuffie with a huff of air. Already irritated the young ninja turned back to exit the way she had come, leaving the pagoda behind, as well as her father who had been more than eager to discontinue the conversation with his daughter and play with his new materia. Yuffie retraced her steps, heading straight towards the strangers, an odd gleam in her own eyes. She would show them what she really thought of them – they weren't tourists, that much Yuffie knew for certain, and whoever they were, they just had to be some form of trouble.

It wasn't hard to find the strangers again, though it was a bit disappointing to only come across the blonde woman and not the fat man with the funny looking beard. He had looked worth fighting, though Yuffie would simply make do with the sour faced woman in front of her.

Scarlet made a face as she eyed the intruder in her path. She had just split up with Heidegger in hopes of finding some sort of trail that would lead towards Wutai itself. The place was supposed to be crawling with bitter old men who could recount all events of the war of long ago like it had only been yesterday. That was where they were likely to find their answer to the whereabouts of the missing object Rufus had his heart set on retrieving.

After a moment of staring Scarlet spoke, her words coming out as though she were spitting them out with disdain. "Who the hell are you, kid?"

"None of your damn business bitch."

"Then are you planning on standing in my way for much longer, or would you be moving aside?"

"That depends, what are you doing here?"

"As you said, it's none of your damn business."

"You're from Midgar – I know you are. It reeks off you like rotting fish."

"I bet you don't even know what rotting fish smells like."

"I bet it smells like you – you've got the uniform of a Turk, and they're always bad news here."

"Is that a fact, now?"

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I'm just a kid, because I'll kick your ass, lady."

At this Scarlet snorted. "You're wasting my time; now get out of the way."

"Make me."

"It'll be my pleasure."

Scarlet lunged forward first, her manicured nails clenching into fists, one of which she tried swinging in Yuffie's direction. Unfortunately Scarlet was a moment too slow and the fist went wild. As she tried to maneuver herself around to face the brat again Scarlet felt a kick come down on her knees, forcing her to fall onto them in the hard dirt. A grimace crossed her face as she barely managed to block the next blow aimed at her, and then another. She clenched her teeth together upon realizing that she was still very much recovering from the other day and the fight with another girl she was learning to despise like acid rain.

Another fist was launched Scarlet's way and she was simply going to let it connect with her, her mind already forming a new attack plan, but the hit never came. With a slight frown on her face Scarlet glanced up and an amused smile took form of her frown. The girl that had been attacking her was now hanging by the scruff of her shirt by Heidegger.

"Who's the kid?" he asked, his eyes directing themselves on Scarlet as she pushed herself back onto her feet. Yuffie glared at him sullenly, though she didn't bother putting up any more of a fight. The squirming she had done upon being lifted into the air had had little effect on the man, so now she was simply going to have to wait him out.

"I don't know and I don't really care. I'm assuming she's from Wutai since she speaks so highly of it and my presence here, but god only knows where the hell she popped in from. For all I know she's that damn thief from earlier."

Heidegger eyed Yuffie curiously. "Did you take our materia, child?"

"Fuck you."

"I think she's nothing more than a surly kid, Scarlet."

"Then get her out of my sight," demanded Scarlet bitterly. "I don't have time to screw around playing with a brat like her."

Without saying a word Heidegger lifted Yuffie higher into the air and hung the back of her shirt on an extended branch of a tree. "Take some time to think about running around and picking fights, child."

"Who the hell do you think you are old man, my father? Go to hell!" spat back Yuffie as she reached her arms up to grasp the tree branch. Within seconds she was down from the tree and back on solid ground. "You think you won this round? Well think again. This isn't the last time you'll be seeing me around, we'll meet again, and then I'm going to take you both down, got it?" Yuffie eyed both Scarlet and Heidegger critically before turning and stalking further into Wutai Valley, leaving the pair behind her with bemused expressions.

"She's certainly feisty," stated Heidegger after a moment.

"And one hell of a pain in the ass," agreed Scarlet grudgingly. "Come on, let's at least get to the damn place before nightfall. This place is starting to mess with my mind."

**Midgar**

**Sector 5**

Aerith pushed her way through the crowd, her murmured words of apology barely reaching the ears of those in her way. She was a bit frazzled, her hands clutching the basket filled with items from the store. She knew she had been risking a crowd at this time of day, it was about the time that most of Midgar stopped for lunch or shopping – a noontime disaster as her mother liked to call it. Normally Aerith avoided this time of day, but today she had been unable to do so. She had needed to get to the store and buy more medicinal herbs – her mother was sick in bed and seemed to be getting worse by the hour.

If they had money Aerith would just have taken Elmyra to the hospital, but as it was her flower selling was only bringing in so much cash, much of which paid for the few bills they received on account of living in Midgar. This month's payments had been sent out two days before leaving them with a single gil left over. It had taken every ounce of bargaining Aerith possessed to convince the grocer that she would pay him back the moment she got more money in, that this was an emergency. It had only been the kindness of a dark haired girl in line behind her that had gotten Aerith the needed medicine; though now she was in debt to a stranger she wasn't sure she would ever see again.

Finally the tired brunette made it through the crowd going in the opposite direction, though she sighed as she realized in her frazzled state of worry for her mother she had only brought herself to stand in front of her favorite sanctuary: the church. "Oh no," murmured Aerith to herself, her back leaning against the oaken door as she slid down to the ground. "How did I do this?"

"Do what?"

Aerith glanced up in surprise; the tears that had formed making her eyes shine. "Tseng! Oh, Tseng you have to help me! It's my mother, she's sick and I bought some medicinal herbs … but I'm not sure it's going to help. I don't know what to do, I've never cared for someone as sick as this before. She has a fever and a cough and she wheezes whenever she breathes … I just don't know what to do!"

Tseng hid the tiny smile that had appeared on his face. He couldn't help but find himself amused by her ceaseless chatter filled with anxiety. Aerith could sometimes appear more naïve than a child without meaning to. "Perhaps you should bring her to the hospital. It sounds like she might have pneumonia."

Aerith shook her head adamantly. "I can't. We don't have the money to pay for a trip to the hospital."

"Aerith, sometimes you have to take a chance and hope for the best."

"I already did that, and I got some medicinal herbs out of it when someone else paid for them," replied the teen, a mild streak of stubbornness taking shape.

Studying her for a moment Tseng glanced at his watch and then back down at Aerith, her face set in determination. He could easily see her eyes surveying the crowd in front of her as though she were preparing herself to march back through them and in the direction of her house. He admired that fearlessness in her; it was as though Aerith would accept fate for what it was, never denying it its course regardless of what she felt or thought. She was truly something else, and it was that something else that would be his undoing. He knew he ought to take her into Headquarters and hand her over like Rufus wanted, but he wouldn't. He couldn't.

Reaching down to cup Aerith by the elbow Tseng brought her to her feet, motioning for her to lead the way. "I know a doctor that owes me a favor."

"Really?" Aerith allowed hope to shine through her voice as she gazed up at the man beside her. She would never begin to understand half of his motives, but she knew she would always be grateful to him no matter what.

"Yes, really. You asked for my help, and here it is."

"Thank-you, Tseng. Thank-you."

**Sector 2**

Tifa shifted her paper bag of groceries to the other arm. Her first day out from moping had been spent shopping as it seemed Reno had let the kitchen run dry of the basic food ingredients she cooked with. It never ceased to amaze her that for as long as she could remember every man she knew was helpless in the kitchen. Since moving in with Reno she had found that not only was he helpless in the kitchen, but he wasn't always the only one she got to feed. More often than not Rude would manage to appear around a meal time and get something as well. It was a growing trend, something that probably had to do with their lack of cooking classes in the place they worked.

"I hope I got everything," she murmured to herself as she went through the list in her head one last time. If she hadn't she could easily send Reno or Rude to the store for her. All she had to do was threaten to not cook and they would do anything she asked.

So preoccupied by the little things in her mind, Tifa was rather startled by the sound of a voice coming from her left.

"Excuse me," it repeated again. Tifa glanced to her left, her eyes searching the dimness of the alley before centering on a single person ushering her their way. It was the red headed girl from the night of the Gala – the girl she had stopped Scarlet from killing.

A bit unsure of herself Tifa allowed her feet to change course in the direction of the girl, coming to stand before her. The two were silent as they eyed one another, the red head dropping her gaze first. "I'm Jessie."

"Tifa."

"I uh … I wanted to thank you for the other day – for saving my life."

"It wasn't a problem. You were unarmed; she had no right to harm you."

"Yeah, but Scarlet's a Turk, and they always do things differently."

Tifa frowned. "What is it you have against the Turks?"

"Everything they do for Shinra, Inc. is bad. We've lived in pure hell since the Shinras took control of Midgar. How can you stand by and protect them?"

"Thus far all I've seen is your side doing a lot of action and the Turks picking up the pieces. I haven't seen anything to constitute otherwise, other than Scarlet, but I figure she's the odd exception to everything."

Jessie made a face, her eyes troubled as she glanced up at Tifa again. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I'm from a place called Nibelheim. I suppose you're trying to tell me that because I'm an outsider it isn't as obvious to me the troubles Midgar has gone through with the Shinras and Turks at the helm?"

"Something like that, yeah. It's just … usually even outsiders know about the inner governmental workings of Midgar. Shinra is a well known name."

Tifa shrugged. There was unease settling in her stomach, something borne out of the lost memories she couldn't quite obtain from a time she barely remembered. Had she known about the Shinra name in the past like so many others seemed to know? Or was Nibelheim really that cut off from the rest of the world? She honestly couldn't say what the answer to that was. "Politics has never been a passion of mine."

"Then what passion do you have?"

At this Tifa grew quiet, her eyes drifting to gaze at the dusty street she had come from. "I'm not sure I ever had any passions to begin with," she finally murmured.

"Everyone has passions," stated Jessie. "It's something you love more than anything else, something worth living for."

"… There was a boy once, long ago. I suppose he was my passion."

"Love."

"Mmm. He was everything to me, and until very recently I wasn't able to see beyond him. But now, now I'm starting to see the world in a different light. It isn't good to have only one passion, or even a person that consumes you for all that you're worth until you forget there's more to life than that. The world is so much bigger than just one thing. If you only experience one aspect you'll wake up one day and realize you haven't lived at all."

"I take it you and this boy broke up recently?" questioned Jessie curiously, somewhat moved by Tifa's words.

Tifa shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "No, no, not quite that. He joined SOLDIER and I came to wait for him here, but my waiting has been in vain. He died not so very long ago and suddenly I've found myself waking up to a world I barely know."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Things happen, life happens, but I've learned that there's more to it than just him. I have people who care for me here, I have a life here. It's time to pick up the pieces and go on. There's more to life than mere violence and anger."

"So you're going to just forget about that part of your life and move on? All because a Turk wants you to? Reno's bad news, you just don't see it because he's all you have now."

"I'll never forget Cloud, I can't," snapped Tifa, her eyes flashing with hurt at the meaning behind Jessie's words. "I could never forget him, but I can't live for a dead man – I can't pretend he's going to come and save me from this hellhole of a life I've fallen into, but I _can _move on. I can keep his memory within me and allow myself to have the happiness I know he'd want for me if he were here, and I will. My world can't revolve around him forever." The words cut at her soul, half of which were coming out of her as though she were trying to convince herself. It still hurt that Cloud was gone and they would never get the happily ever after she had dreamed about for so often, but at the same time she knew she couldn't go on believing in something that would never be.

"I'm just saying that you're putting a little too much faith into what Reno tells you. Don't tell me you can look me in the eyes and honestly say you trust him with all your heart?"

The girls locked eyes, but Tifa couldn't get herself to say what she knew she needed to say. Jessie was right, she wasn't sure she trusted Reno with all her heart, she wasn't sure she ever would, but as already stated, he was all she had. "I trust him enough," said Tifa after another moment, "and that's all I need."

"I think you're making a mistake," replied Jessie with a shake of her head.

"It's my life to make mistakes with, so don't bother worrying about me. I'm not some precious piece of glass you need to watch over – I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. In case you've already forgotten it was your ass I had to save from Scarlet."

Grinding her teeth Jessie took a step back, her head nodding in agreement. "I wish you luck with that life of yours – the one you're taking up with Reno and the Turks. I think you'll regret it, but that's only my opinion. I know having someone worship the ground you walk on can be kind of flattering and whatnot, but it's not everything."

"I don't like flattery."

"You could have fooled me."

"Screw you." Tifa turned around, her back stiff as she shifted her bag of groceries again. As she walked away she could hear Jessie's final words to her, echoing in her mind as she vanished down the street.

"At least I have a purpose for my life. You don't even have that."

**Gold Saucer**

"I think it's a bad idea," stated Cloud flatly.

Zack made a face. "You just think it's a waste of time."

"That too. Battling in the arena isn't going to help us find Sephiroth faster."

"But it does keep us in shape in case we do run into him soon."

"Are you really itching that much for a battle?"

"Aren't you?"

Cloud lapsed into silence, his mood returning to the sulky brood he was becoming known for. Since their arrival at the Gold Saucer time had been spent in a lazy matter, though mostly on Zack's part. They had stopped by the bar and drunk a few beers before Cloud had grown bored and wandered out to see if he could get some word from the locals of a man with white hair and large sword. Thus far no one had seen or heard a thing of the man and for that Zack was preparing to take part in a few battles in the local arena. Playing the part of a gladiator was not high on Cloud's list of things to do, and as such he wasn't going to aid his friend. He felt there were better things they could be doing with their time, but once Zack got an idea in his mind it was difficult to change it.

"Do what you want, you always do."

"It's nice to know I have your permission," replied Zack wryly. "You're still brooding about her aren't you?" He didn't have to say who 'her' was; it was all too easy to tell by the way he said it.

"You don't worry enough about your own girl," advised Cloud after another moment.

"She loves me, that's all I really need to know."

"Mmm."

"You've probably got a letter waiting from her back in Midgar. Stop worrying about her – it's not like there's another guy out there ready to sweep her out from your arms. The way that last letter went she's pretty taken with you."

"Sometimes I wonder if that's even enough."

Zack shook his head, a bemused expression on his face. He would never come to understand the blonde haired man across from him, just as it was likely Cloud would never come to understand him. He knew so little about Cloud, much of their conversation was one sided, which left a lot of the storytelling to Zack. He had already told the other all about his life, the girl he had waiting for him, and all that he wanted to do in the future – he was starting to run out of things to talk about, though he had already learned not to bring up Cloud's girl too often. He always clammed up when it came to her, though for what Zack couldn't say. There was something he wasn't saying about her, something he didn't want to share.

"Are you going to watch me in the arena or go sulk around elsewhere?" asked Zack finally, his hand going to his back to pull the sword he carried into his hands. He glanced at Cloud, waiting for the answer that would surely come.

"What do you think?" Cloud glanced back at Zack, a hooded look over his eyes before turning his back on his comrade and walking out of the arena prepping station. Zack smirked after him before turning his attention to the door leading into the arena. He didn't have time to worry about Cloud, he would return later and they would leave the Saucer just as surely as they had come.

As Zack walked into the battle arena, a small pudgy figure appeared from the shadowy corner of the room. It was a rather odd shaped creature of white with a black cat sitting atop of it. The cat's eyes gleamed as it studied either direction the two men of SOLDIER had taken.

"Interesting, very interesting," it mused to itself.

Outside the arena Cloud flexed his fingers, unease settling in his bones. He didn't like wasting time like this when they had a job to do. That was who he was. Cloud did things by the book. If he was given an order he did it. He hadn't always been that way. In the past he had gone out of his way to show people he was more than just an ordinary boy, and through it he had actually managed to gain Tifa's attention. But years spent in SOLDIER had trained him to take orders and do them without question. Cloud had changed, that much was certain.

He wasn't sure he liked who he was anymore. He had forgotten so many things. He no longer smiled. He no longer laughed. He brooded. He was quiet. He was a danger to himself and those around him when he wasn't careful. He only remembered what the Mako allowed him to remember, and half the time that wasn't much. Faces were still fading from his mind, just as were names and places. Everything was becoming a blur within his head. He was lucky to remember his own name every day he woke up. He had to constantly think of things in order not to forget them. Things like Tifa. She was the one thing he refused to allow himself to forget. He could forget everything else, even his own name, so long as he could remember her. Her face, her smile, her laughter, his promise – that was worth remembering, everything else was meaningless.

With a sigh Cloud made his feet move, taking him in a direction away from the arena. Just as he needed to remember things, Zack needed to forget. It was the reason the other man was currently battling in a senseless battle – he lived for the thrill of fighting. It was part of his genetic makeup. He wasn't content to just wander aimlessly without much purpose other than to find Sephiroth. Zack needed to loosen his muscles and let out the anger within. Both had been a part of SOLDIER for far too long now and it was likely that the future would be slow coming to reach the day when they could turn their backs on their current positions and lead normal lives. Cloud wasn't sure normalcy would ever be possible, but he would be damned if they didn't try to get it.

His head jerked to the side at the sound of metal crashing against metal. There was a battle afoot, but not one within the safe confines of the arena. A shot rang out and Cloud was running. He passed by people running in the opposite direction, his adrenaline running as he pushed himself to run faster. There could only be so many reasons for the sound of metal and gunfire, and he hoped with all his might it would be the exact reason he was supposed to be searching for.

Cloud skidded to a stop, his breath ragged as he eyed the sight before him. There standing with a small group of armed men pointing guns at him was none other than Sephiroth. The man seemed to sense Cloud, for he looked past the armed men to lock eyes with the blonde SOLDIER, a crooked smiled appearing on his face. He acknowledged Cloud's existence with a nod of his head, using a single hand around his sword to sweep away the rest of the men in front of him.

Yanking the sword off of his back Cloud gripped the handle with both hands, steeling himself in a fighting stance as Sephiroth positioned himself in the same manner.

Sephiroth chuckled, a dry, harsh sound coming from his throat. "How familiar this feels, doesn't it? I on one end and you on the other. This is how it will always be, child, but you will never be the best of me – you can never defeat what I am or will become. I will live on and you will lose faith."

"Pretty words for a man with a death warrant on his head," replied Cloud coldly, his eyes narrowing.

"You don't know what I stand for."

"I don't really give a damn."

"Then you will feel the calamity of the skies along with everyone else. You are not worthy to be called my brother."

"I think I can live with that, Sephiroth."

"We'll be seeing each other again, Cloud. We'll be seeing each other again." Sephiroth took only a half step forward, a war cry erupting from his lips as he brought his sword down from over his head, hitting the ground with a bright flash of light. The ground broke in a zigzag pattern, running its course in Cloud's direction as the blonde man tried to counterattack, but the light had blinded him and his own attack faltered, making him fall as the ground blew up at his feet, knocking him backwards several feet.

Stunned, Cloud pushed the debris off his body as he struggled back onto his feet. He felt someone grip his arm to help him the rest of the way up, his eyes focusing on Zack now standing at his side. "Took you long enough," spat out Cloud as he wiped the dust from his face.

"Sephiroth certainly knows how to make a scene when he wants to," stated the other man dryly. "The whole Saucer shook with the attack – I got here as fast as I could."

"Well he's gone again."

"Isn't that the way it always is?"

"He said some weird stuff … something about a calamity and brothers …"

Zack shook his head. "They say Sephiroth never really been the same since the Wutai War – something happened that changed him. He's not the same man he used to be. He's not the guy they talk about in the stories."

"No, but this sounded different …" Cloud trailed off, rubbing his head as he tried to recall what it was Sephiroth had been saying. The attack had shaken him enough that he couldn't remember it exactly, though he did know the inclination behind it had left him with a bad feeling.

"Sephiroth _is_ a calamity, Cloud. He's out to destroy the planet and it's up to people like us to stop him. That's what it's going to come down to – that's what it's been boiling towards for years now. Shinra made a mistake with Sephiroth and we're fixing that mistake. People like Rufus Shinra and his precious army of scientists tried playing god and look where it got them: a nice little specimen wandering around muttering about a calamity from the skies. He's lost his mind, that's all there is to it."

"I hope you're right," murmured Cloud after a moment.

"Trust me, I am."

**Midgar**

**Sector 3**

Reno eyed Tifa warily. "You're sure about this, right love?" he asked finally.

Tifa gave him a look that clearly told him he was worrying about nothing. "I said I wanted to do it, didn't I?" she replied in question.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure what brought it about. I think I would feel better if you had said something like you wanted to sleep with me than this."

"Now you're just being delusional." The amusement in her eyes faded and was quickly replaced with one of mild pain. She winced ever so slightly before glancing back at Reno. "Stop worrying about it. This was my decision. I want to do this."

"I'm just wondering, does this mean you're planning on sticking around a while longer?"

"Possibly, why? Are you worried I'm going to up and leave you before the bar opens?"

"Well, that and I might be a tad worried you're going to just up and leave me."

"If I were going to do that I would have already done it, Reno."

"Does that mean we might still be able to sleep together in the future?"

The one that snorted wasn't Tifa but the man positioned behind her right shoulder blade. "I think the chances of that happening are as real as a red moon," he balked.

"Who asked you?" replied Reno darkly, his eyes narrowing at the man.

"He's got a point," said Tifa with another roll of her eyes. "If you keep talking about it then it's never going to happen."

"So that means it _might_ happen?"

"Don't make me get out of this chair and hit you."

Reno chuckled. "Alright, alright, I'll stop mentioning it for today."

"And I think she's done," murmured the man behind Tifa finally. He took a step back, allowing Reno to come to stand behind Tifa, his eyes fastened on what he could now clearly see on her right shoulder blade: two red half circles tattooed so that the arcs were touching.

"It's a good tagging," murmured Reno after a moment.

"You expected less of me?" replied the tattoo artist.

"Not really."

"Are we done now?" demanded Tifa. "I'd really like to pull my shirt back down."

"I suppose." Reno had been eager to add in another glib mark, but the irritation in Tifa's voice had warned him she wouldn't be taking any more of his crap for the evening. He stepped back and pulled out some gil from his pocket, handing it to the man in front of him as Tifa pulled her shirt back down over her back, her face wincing ever so slightly as she did so. She was going to be sore for a few days that much was for sure.

"I'm ready whenever you are, love." Reno grinned as Tifa shook her head at him. Placing a careful arm around her shoulder he walked with the dark haired teen out of the shop and back into the street. Twilight was about and there weren't as many people milling about as there had been earlier.

"Do you think I made the right choice?" asked Tifa after a moment of silent walking.

Reno chose his words carefully. "I think whatever choice you make is a good step forward right now, darling. You can only take one step and place it ahead of you if you're to pick up your life again."

Tifa smiled. She liked seeing this side of Reno more than the cocky bastard he normally was. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say it was Tseng that said those words first, right?"

"Maybe."

"That's what I figured, but thanks all the same."

"Like I said, love, anything for you."

**Midgar**

**Train Graveyard**

Jessie cursed as she studied the ID she had been working on. This was the third time today she had managed to spell the damn name wrong. "Fucking cards." She tossed it aside, placing her elbows atop the table she was seated in. Her eyes moved towards the doorway of the empty train car as Biggs entered, his smile broad upon his face. She really hated that face of his sometimes. He always looked like he had just come from a good day when everyone knew the days members of AVALANCHE had were pure hell.

"I've got news," stated Biggs bluntly. This caught the attention of both Wedge and Barrett who were positioned over a carton of ammunition. They stood up and made their way over to Jessie's table where Biggs was now sitting.

"What kind of news?" demanded Barrett flatly.

"Reno's girl just got herself tagged. She's on the way to becoming a Turk."

"Damn bitch." Jessie's words made her male companions look at her in surprise. "I should have known she'd go do something stupid. She was all pissed this afternoon when I made mention she was screwing herself over by putting her cards in with the Turks – she's just lost right now, she probably doesn't know the half of what she's doing."

"And how would she be lost?" asked Barrett after a moment.

"Rumor has it her little world crumbled the moment she found out her boyfriend was dead. Some guy in SOLDIER that she had been pining after for years, I guess."

"And he's dead?"

"According to an unnamed source I like to call Reno, yeah, he's dead."

Wedge shook his head. "That doesn't sound like fact to me. Where's the body?"

Jessie shrugged. "I didn't really get to ask about that before she blasted me for my actions and I blasted her for hers. I'm sort of guessing we aren't going to be friends anymore."

Biggs snorted. "Like you guys were in the first place."

Barrett shook his head. "She saved Jessie's life. That counts for something. Tifa Lockhart isn't Turk material."

"She certainly isn't AVALANCHE material either," pointed out Biggs sagely.

"I think that remains to be seen. Let's see what we can dig up about this dead boyfriend of hers."

"What for?" asked Wedge with a curious glance. "I mean, I know she's nice and saved Jessie's life and can hold her own in battle –"

"But why go to all the trouble of getting her to see the light of day?" finished Jessie wryly. "Because it's people like Tifa that keep the Turks running. People might generally like the girl – she's a people person, that's easy to see."

"And we'll take anyone we can get," agreed Biggs with a nod of his head. "She sure as hell would be a nice addition."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," interjected Barrett after a moment. "First, let's just start with the basics. Dead boyfriend got a name, Jess?"

"Cloud something."

"It's a start."

--

**A/N 2 – **looking for a beta, anyone interested?


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